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Canucks' Luongo returns to Florida to battle Panthers

Fri 1st, February 2008

(Sports Network) - Roberto Luongo will return to his former home tonight, as the star goaltender leads the Vancouver Canucks into BankAtlantic Center to battle the Florida Panthers.

Luongo spent five seasons as a member of the Panthers, but was traded by the club to Vancouver after the 2005-06 season. The Canucks sent Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld to the Panthers in exchange for Luongo and Lukas Krajicek.

The trade is one of the NHL's most lopsided deals in recent memory, as Luongo has become the face of the Vancouver franchise, while Bertuzzi, the centerpiece of the deal for Florida, has played for two teams since his brief, injury-riddled tenure with the Panthers.

The 28-year-old Luongo has faced the Panthers twice in his career, the most recent occurrence came with a Vancouver home win over Florida on January 7 of last year. Luongo also faced Florida as a rookie back on April 9, 2000, just months before being traded by the New York Islanders to the Panthers.

The Canucks have struggled lately, losing two straight and six of their last seven games. The drought has dropped Vancouver into fourth place in the Northwest Division, but with 57 points, the Canucks are just four behind first-place Minnesota.

Vancouver's most recent setback came on Thursday in Tampa. Brad Richards had a goal and two assists as the Lightning downed the Canucks, 4-3, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Taylor Pyatt had a goal and an assist while Luongo finished the game with 23 saves.

The Canucks are playing the second test of a four-game road trip tonight and are 12-11-3 away from British Columbia this season. Vancouver will complete the current swing with stops in Dallas and Atlanta.

The Panthers are 1-1-1 on a four-game homestand that ends tonight. Florida began the residency with a win over Ottawa on January 22, but has since been dealt an overtime loss by Edmonton and was shut out by Buffalo on Wednesday.

Florida was stymied by Buffalo's Ryan Miller on Wednesday night, as the Sabres backstop made 32 saves to record his second shutout of the season in the 1-0 decision. Thomas Vanek scored the game's only goal.

In the dying seconds of the first period, Florida's Richard Zednik was sent to the penalty box for a holding the stick infraction. The power play carried over to the middle frame, where the Sabres took full advantage. Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun stopped Jason Pominville's blast from the point, but Vanek scooped up the rebound and deposited the puck in the back of the net 40 seconds into the frame.

Vokoun stopped 40-of-41 shots for the Panthers, who have lost six of eight overall. Florida played its 29th one-goal game of the season, falling to 13-11-5 in those tests.

Florida, which is just 10-12-4 as the host club this season, will begin a five-game road trip Saturday in Tampa.

Vancouver is 5-0 with a pair of ties in the last seven meetings with the Panthers and has taken two in a row and four of its previous five tests in Sunrise. The Canucks haven't played at the BankAtlantic Center since November 30, 2002.

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