NEW INJURY LEAVES LUONGO STUCK ON THE SIDELINES AGAIN
GM Mike Gillis not impressed by the aggressive ‘ tactics’ of the Los Angeles Kings
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Just as Canada’s Olympic team is about to select its goalies, the Vancouver Canucks are out of choices again — out of Roberto Luongo.
One game after returning from a groin injury, Luongo is back out of the National Hockey League team’s lineup with an apparent foot or ankle injury.
After playing Saturday’s 3- 1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, stopping 46 of 48 shots and finishing the game despite being bowled over by Dustin Brown on the tying goal, the goaltender was a surprise lineup scratch here Sunday.
The Canucks scrambled to sign former journeyman minor- league pro Rob Laurie, from Corona, Calif., to a professional tryout that allowed the 43- year- old to back up Vancouver starter Eddie Lack on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks. Luongo is expected to be named Tuesday to Canada’s Olympic team for Sochi.
But there was no indication from general manager Mike Gillis that Luongo’s injury is minor or that the absence of the Canucks’ No. 1 goalie is simply day to day.
“If he’s not well enough to play tonight, he probably won’t be for a little bit of time,” Gillis said.
Gillis was frustrated that Brown injured Luongo in a game when Kings crashed the crease several times. In the second period of Luongo’s first game since Dec. 22, the goalie’s mask was knocked off in a goalmouth pileup caused by Los Angeles forward Jarret Stoll.
“It’s not a surprise when players run the goalie, the goalie is going to get hurt,” Gillis told newspaper reporters during the first period of Sunday’s game. “And it happened how many times last night?
“( Luongo) managed to finish the game. Adrenalin gets you through certain things.”
After scoring on a rebound, Brown bumped in front of Luongo with Canuck Mike Santorelli and fell spectacularly backwards into the goalie, swinging his skates dangerously near Luongo’s head.
Luongo’s right skate was caught under him as he fell backwards under Brown’s weight. The goalie motioned towards his lower leg, but remained in for the game’s final 19 minutes.
Luongo said after: “My foot got caught under me as he was accidentally running me over. Luckily, this time the pain went away.
“That’s what we want to do to the opposing goalie too — crash the net and create havoc. That’s what hockey’s all about. That’s a good game plan, that’s what you want. You want to get in the other goalie’s kitchen. You want to go through the crease, get some pucks in there and jam away. That’s what we preach to our guys.”
Gillis wasn’t nearly as understanding.
“When you see it by certain teams over and over again, it’s a tactic, not a hockey play,” he fumed of the Kings. “If players are going through the crease and hitting the goalie all the time, players are going to get injured.”
Canuck minor- league goalie Joacim Eriksson was unable to make the odyssey to Anaheim from the Utica Comets in time for Sunday’s game, so Gillis went to the NHL’s list of goalies available by region to be called upon in an emergency.
This was Laurie’s second NHL fill- in, as he sat on the Ducks’ bench for four minutes of a game against the Dallas Stars last April when Anaheim couldn’t fetch minor- leaguer Igor Bobkov in time to replace Jonas Hiller.
Laurie, who has skated and practised with Anaheim players at various times, had an 11- year, minor- league pro career end in 2002 with the El Paso Buzzards of the Central Hockey League. Before his one- night stand for the Ducks last spring, Laurie’s Southern California claim to fame was playing roller hockey in the 1990s with the Anaheim Bullfrogs.
The Canucks also were missing key forward Chris Higgins against the Ducks. But the secondline winger’s flu was predictable enough that Benn Ferriero was recalled from Utica in time for the game.