As a vicious second period scrum raged around him during Friday night’s 3-1 Florida Panthers victory over the New York Islanders, goaltender Roberto Luongo stood watching. He looked almost bored. His posture was such that if he’d been wearing a watch, he might’ve checked it a couple times.
Luongo wasn’t bored though. He was laser focused. He’s been that way all week.
Over the years, Luongo has developed something of a jokester persona, which during his latter days in Vancouver seemed to help him cope with years worth of trade speculation and scapegoating. There’s something a bit different about Luongo now, something a little bit more business-like and mature.
Following a tough outing in Game 1 of this first round series, Luongo received treatment in the Panthers room for nearly an hour before meeting with what was left of the media. When he was finally available, this narrator joked to him that he’d been in the washroom for an awful long time – a reference to his infamous overtime bathroom break in Anaheim during the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Panthers backstop, a strong Vezina candidate this season, was having none of it. He gave a polite grunt that wasn’t nearly a laugh and began fielding questions.
Following up on a rough outing in Game 1, one in which Luongo allowed five goals against and became a focus for criticism, he put in a stellar performance in Game 2. The 37-year-old was efficient and quiet in his crease. Loose change in the slot was scant as the Islanders’ shots seemed to stick to him.
“Lu was great, he stood on his head,” said Panthers forward Reilly Smith. “They had a couple waves of pressure and he was definitely a calming force back there.”
By the end of the night, Luongo had turned away 41 Islanders shots in the second leg of back-to-back starts. On this night, it took a strange bounce off of the end boards and a brilliant reaction by Islanders superstar John Tavares to beat him. His performance was a major reason the Panthers managed to level the series, ensuring at least one more home date at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla..
After the victory, Luongo allowed himself one brief moment of levity, pushing away a television microphone to ensure that it wouldn’t obscure his Spacey in Space sweater. Then it was back to business.
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Asked about the elephant in the room – Friday’s victory was Luongo’s first playoff win in nearly five years – Luongo downplayed its significance.
“They all feel good, it’s playoffs, that’s what it’s all about,” Luongo said. “It’s 1-1. There’s nothing that’s been accomplished here.”
He also suggested that this type of game, in contrast with the barnburner that was Game 1, perhaps played to his strengths a bit better.
“It was important to get one at home here before we head back there (to Brooklyn),” Luongo said. “It was a complete team game tonight, a typical playoff game – low scoring, grinding down. We found a way to win here.
“Tonight was more of a straight-forward game,” he added. “A lot more pucks on net, I was able to get in a rhythm.”
The dramatic reversal of Luongo’s fortunes within 24 hours makes for a good story but it wasn’t surprising to those who’ve followed his career closely. It certainly wasn’t surprising to Panthers head coach Gerrard Gallant.
“The last two years, I’ve had this guy in net and he’s one of the best goalies in the league in my opinion,” Gallant said.
“I didn’t think he was bad last night,” he continued. “I just think they made some great shots. Tonight he was outstanding and that’s what we expected.”
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The weight of those expectations isn’t unfamiliar to a goaltender who backstopped the Canadian Olympic team to a gold medal on home soil back in 2010 and who has experience playing in the Stanley Cup Final. Over the years, it has become clear that Luongo has developed into something close to Teflon. The noise, the laughs, the blame – it all appears to bounce off of him.
Earlier in the week, Luongo was asked if he still took strolls on a Florida equivalent to the Vancouver seawall prior to post-season games. He indicated that he’d moved beyond sort of thing.
“I was younger back then,” Luongo said of his days in Vancouver. “I think I’ve matured a lot since then as far as mental preparation and all that stuff.
“At the end of the day,” Luongo continued pointing to his temple, “it’s all up here.”
Whether it was improved defence in front of him or an improved mental approach, Luongo played in Game 2 like the elite goaltender he is.
He remains, as the series shifts to Brooklyn, the biggest edge Florida has over their opponent.