Canada, Luongo shut out Austria.
As good as he was on the ice, Roberto Luongo was even better in the mixed zone. “It’s nice,” he said, following his 6- 0 shutout win over Austria on Friday night. “This was my first win in three weeks ( he’d lost his last five starts with the Vancouver Canucks before the Olympic break). It feels really good, you know.”
And: “I just didn’t want to give up that six- goal lead in the third.”
And: “( Jeff Carter) wanted to give the ( game) puck to me for the shutout and I wanted to give it to him for the hat trick. I’m not sure if he kept it or not. Maybe he gave it to Babs.”
That would be Mike Babcock, the Canadian head coach who pulled Carter from Canada’s first line after their win over Norway on Thursday night. Babcock watched the Kings’ winger score three goals against the Austrians.
But when the post- game questions took on a different tone, suddenly open- mike night in Sochi was over. Luongo was asked if he thought he’d done enough to earn the starting assignment in Sunday’s marquee encounter with the Finns.
He was asked about the goaltending workload going forward for Team Canada. He was asked essentially the same question in a variety of ways.
And he avoided those questions the way a vampire avoids daylight.
“It doesn’t really matter,” Luongo said. “We’re not here for personal agendas. We’re here to play for our country. Whether it’s me or Carey ( Price, who started in Canada’s 3- 1 win over Norway) it’s not a big deal. I’ll be ready either way.”
Babcock wasn’t any more forthcoming on this subject. But, in reading the tea leaves, it would register as an upset if Luongo didn’t get the start against the Finns.
Admittedly, retired NHL journeyman Roberto Romano could have recorded the win over the Austrians, but Luongo was still stiletto- sharp in his 23- save shutout.
The Austrians play fast and they play loose, and they also scored four goals against the Finns in their opener.
Against Canada, they didn’t sustain a lot of pressure but they did produce quality chances, and Luongo was the master of his domain throughout the affair.
Luongo made the shutout stand up with a breakaway save off Oliver Setzinger in the third.