Roberto Luongo will return to Panthers lineup on Thursday
After missing two weeks Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo will be back in the lineup on Thursday night.
After missing two weeks with an injury he suffered when he was hit by a Leo Komarov shot, Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo will return to the lineup on Thursday night when the team takes on the Detroit Red Wings with its playoff hopes on the line.
Luongo was injured earlier in this month in a wild game that saw both he and his backup, Al Montoya, both get injured. Luongo, who had already changed out of his uniform, had to dress and return to the game while Panthers goalie coach Robb Tallas had to quickly put on a uniform to sit on the bench as a backup.
Luongo ended up missing six games as a result of the injury and was replaced by Dan Ellis who had been called up from the American Hockey League. Ellis actually did an excellent job filling in, posting a .922 save percentage while the Panthers went 3-2-1 with him in the lineup.
They're still a better team with a healthy Luongo in net, and they are going to need him to be on top of his game if they have any hope of remaining in the playoff race. Entering play on Thursday against Detroit Florida is seven points out of a playoff spot with just 12 games to play and is going to have to jump over two teams (Ottawa and Boston) to get one of the wild card sports.
That is a tall and seemingly impossible mountain to climb at this point in the season. To get in the playoffs at this point Florida is probably going to need 98 points given Boston's current pace, which means the Panthers would need to finish on an 11-1 run.
In 52 appearances this season Luongo has a .921 save percentage to go with a 23-16-11 record.
