Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Healthy Luongo means wins
Boughner says goalie’s absence has cost team five or six games
For the second time this season, Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo appears to be returning from an injury with strong performances.
During Florida’s 1-0 loss to Toronto on Tuesday night, Luongo stopped 30 of 31 shots on goal, his lone blemish a James van Riemsdyk goal in the final minute of the first period. It was Luongo’s second game back from a groin injury that sidelined him for nearly 11 weeks.
He earned the win in Calgary on Saturday night by making 30 saves. In the two games since his return, Luongo has posted a .938 save percentage and 2.02 goals against average.
“I’d like to believe that if we had him all year, I think we’d have five or six more wins at this point, which would put us right in the thick of things,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner told reporters in Toronto. “That’s what Louie does. Louie can steal you a game when you’re not good one night. He can stand on his head when you need the big save.”
The Panthers entered Wednesday seven points behind Columbus
for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Florida has played three fewer games and, at 57 games, has played the fewest games in the NHL. The team starts a six-game home stand Thursday night by hosting Washington.
In total this season, Luongo has missed 33 games due to injury. A right hand injury on Oct. 20 forced him out for six games. The groin injury on Dec. 4 sidelined him for 27 more.
But the Panthers performed admirably in Luongo’s absence. The team went 17-13-3. It put together a five-game winning streak largely on the play of James Reimer in December. It won four consecutive games after the All-Star break due to third-string goaltender Harri Sateri’s hot streak.
In total, Panthers goaltenders had a .912 save percentage in the 33 games Luongo missed, a few ticks above the league average of .909. The combination of Reimer, Sateri and Antti Niemi allowed at least five goals in seven games. They also allowed one or fewer in six games.
But in his abbreviated season, Luongo has been dominant. His overall .929 save percentage ranks fifth among goaltenders with at least 15 games played. It would be his best save percentage since 2003-04, during his first stint with the Panthers and when he finished third in the Vezina Trophy voting.
“That’s what he’s done his whole career,” Boughner said. “You like to think you’d be in a better position. A lot of teams that lose their starting guy for 75 percent of the year are in trouble.”
Florida is one of nine NHL teams this season to use at least four goaltenders. Four of them are currently in playoff position, as the Devils (Cory Schneider), Penguins (Matt Murray), Golden Knights (Marc-Andre Fleury) and Jets (backups Steve Mason and Michael Hutchinson) have been able to overcome injuries.
Blood drive today
The Panthers are hosting a blood drive today at the BB&T Center “in honor of the victims and survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy and to draw attention to the constant need for a ready blood supply in our community,” according to a release.
People can donate between noon and 7 p.m. and are asked to enter through Gate 5 off of Panther Parkway. Each donor will receive a voucher for two Panthers tickets to a future game.
Fans attending Thursday’s game against Washington can donate inside the arena from 6 p.m. through the end of the second intermission. People are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at the One Blood website.