His 39-year-old right knee wrapped in gauze for support, Roberto Luongo insists itB次元官网网址檚 all still worth it.
The aches and pains, the amount of preparation needed just to step on the ice, and the injuries that take a lot longer to heal donB次元官网网址檛 come close to rivalling the one desire burning inside the Florida PanthersB次元官网网址� veteran goalie.
B次元官网网址淚 just want to be in the playoffs, man,B次元官网网址� said Luongo, grey hair dotting his beard. B次元官网网址淚 just want to get a taste of that. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why I play.B次元官网网址�
In his 19th NHL season, Luongo sits six wins shy of tying Ed Belfour for third all-time at 484, is 12 appearances away from equalling Patrick Roy for second in games played at 1,029 and needs four shutouts to pull even with Dominik Hasek and two others for sixth with 81.
But those numbers and his slam-dunk spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame donB次元官网网址檛 matter to the Montreal native.
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He wants another shot at the Stanley Cup, a trophy Luongo came so close to touching with the Vancouver Canucks in 2011.
B次元官网网址淭he rest of that stuff will come on its own,B次元官网网址� he said inside the visitors locker room at Scotiabank Arena earlier this week. B次元官网网址滱t the end of my career you can look back on those numbers and appreciate them, but for now I just want to keep doing a good job.B次元官网网址�
HeB次元官网网址檚 done his part for the Panthers this season, but itB次元官网网址檚 unlikely there will be spring hockey in south Florida.
Luongo, who was left hung out to dry by teammates in ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 6-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, is 7-6-1 with one shutout, a .900 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average in 2018-19 after missing the first month of the season with a strained medial collateral ligament in his right knee suffered in FloridaB次元官网网址檚 opener.
The Panthers struggled without Luongo and, despite back-to-back wins before the blowout in Toronto, sit nine points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Still, he continues to push his body.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 tough. IB次元官网网址檓 not going to lie. ItB次元官网网址檚 not easy,B次元官网网址� Luongo said. B次元官网网址漈hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of stuff you have to deal with. When you get up there (in age), recovery is not as fast and you have to put a lot of work in.
B次元官网网址淩ight now IB次元官网网址檓 willing to do whatever it takes to keep going.B次元官网网址�
Panthers head coach Bob Boughner said Luongo B次元官网网址渋s his own bossB次元官网网址� when it comes to the goalieB次元官网网址檚 workload.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 crucial for us he stays healthy,B次元官网网址� said Boughner, whose team missed the playoffs by a point last season. B次元官网网址滺eB次元官网网址檚 our most important player.B次元官网网址�
Luongo signed a 12-year, US$64-million contract with Vancouver that kicked in ahead of the 2010-11 campaign B次元官网网址� a front-loaded deal that carries an annual average value of $5.333 million.
After earning $10 million the first season, he made $6.716 million for seven consecutive years. But LuongoB次元官网网址檚 salary in real dollars dropped by more than half to $3.382 million this season and falls to $1.618 million in 2019-20.
That number dips even further to $1 million in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, should he continue playing well into his 40s.
Luongo insists when he inked his extension with the Canucks, who traded him back to Florida in 2014 after originally acquiring him from the Panthers in 2006, his intention was to play as long as he could, regardless of the money.
B次元官网网址淚 never said I was going to retire at a certain age,B次元官网网址� Luongo explained. B次元官网网址滻 just wanted to keep playing as long as I enjoyed it (and) was able to play at a high level and be as healthy as I can be.
B次元官网网址淩ight now other than the injuries a little bit, I still feel that I can play at a high level.B次元官网网址�
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
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