Calgary Herald

WHAT ABOUT BOBBY LOU?

Florida needs Luongo to bounce back

- MIKE ZEISBERGER

While The Legacy of Bobby Lou is still to be finalized, the body of career work cobbled together thus far has been a roller-coaster ride of the good, the bad and the never boring.

Take a peek behind Roberto Luongo’s mask, and you’ll find one of the most personable characters in the game. From his participat­ion in about a dozen fantasy football pools (of which he claimed multiple championsh­ips) to his twitter alter ego @strombone1, the veteran goalie remains one of the more colourful figures in a sport thirsting for them.

At the same time, Luongo, for some reason, seems to be a lightning rod for criticism at times, a trend that once again emerged during this first round series between his Florida Panthers and New York Islanders.

With the Islanders having won two of the first three games, one of the most common comments on social media regarding the series suggested that Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss had been outplaying Luongo. The fact that the Panthers goalie had been beaten 10 times over that span seemed to underscore that argument which, to be honest, was a legitimate one.

Of course, Luongo gave the Bobby Lou bashers fodder for their rants when he told reporters after Game 3 that he was exhausted after playing three games in four nights. It was a legitimate claim in terms of the fact the Panthers had strategica­lly spaced out his starts all season, but it still served as a source of criticism in these parts.

Through it all, what must be remembered here is that Luongo is one of the fiercest competitor­s in the game, no matter how good or bad his performanc­es might be. And that burning will to win once again was on display Wednesday night in Game 4, a 2-1 Panthers win in which Luongo turned aside 26 of 27 Islanders shots to help Florida even the series at 2-2.

You don’t have to sell Panthers general manager Dale Tallon on his veteran goalie. He’s believed in him from the get-go.

He’s steadfast in the belief if the young Panthers are to go deep into the Stanley Cup tournament, Luongo will be one of the foundation­s that will lead Florida on a run to the promised land.

“I knew he would come back and have a game like that,” Tallon said. “That’s what he’s about. He’s been through a lot in his career. He knows what it takes.

“Look, during the season, we didn’t have him play back-to-back games. All of a sudden, the playoffs come around and he’s playing three in four nights. This guy’s a battler. He’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

Truth be told, the Panthers have been the better team in this series. Islanders captain John Tavares notwithsta­nding, they have been the younger, faster, more dangerous of the two rosters.

They probably deserve a better fate than to be deadlocked at two games apiece heading into Game 5 Friday night in Sunrise. But in playoff hockey, dominating the play means nothing if you don’t produce an edge on the scoreboard.

Much like Luongo has endured in his career, the post-season is a rocky road of highs and lows. The trick is to stay at an even keel. And that’s just what Luongo is doing.

“That was a huge character win for our club,” Luongo said of the Game 4 victory. “We played the type of road game we wanted to play. Just simple hard-nosed chipping away and we found a way to win.

“That’s what playoffs are all about. You’ve got to gut it out. A lot of guys did a lot of good things.” Including Luongo himself. So, bet against Luongo if you want. He’s been through this before and heard it all. But no matter the outcome, there is no quit in this guy.

And on a team full of kids who, for the most part, have never been through the playoff wars, that’s just the type of quality you want in a respected leader.

I knew he would come back and have a game like that. That’s what he’s about. He’s been through a lot in his career. He knows what it takes.

 ??  ??
 ?? ADAM HUNGER/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers makes a key save in Game 4, stopping 26 of 27 shots in the Panthers’ 2-1 win in Brooklyn on Wednesday to draw the Panthers even in the series against the Islanders.
ADAM HUNGER/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers makes a key save in Game 4, stopping 26 of 27 shots in the Panthers’ 2-1 win in Brooklyn on Wednesday to draw the Panthers even in the series against the Islanders.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada