Canadian goalie Luongo thriving on Olympic experience

Luongo Olympics

Just in case the permanent grin plastered across his face didn’t say it already, inGoal Magazine asked Canadian goalie Roberto Luongo Thursday if this really was the most fun he’s ever had between the pipes.

“For sure, I’m having a blast,” he replied with a wider smile. “It’s kind of sad to think there’s only two games left. They’re going to be two great games and I’m just going to enjoy them as much as I can.”

From the very real twinkle in his eye to the noticeable excitement in his voice, it’s been clear Luongo is relishing an opportunity he’s waited his whole career for, a chance to finally step out of the long shadow of Martin Brodeur after the living legend stumbled against the U.S. last Sunday. Luongo has been careful to say there will be plenty more chances to win championships and insists his career won’t be defined by this. But with a salary-capped NHL, he also knows there may never be a better chance, a better supporting cast to help shake a reputation – fair or not – for not winning the big games.

The best news for a nation counting on him to do just that may be the way Luongo is embracing this pressure-packed opportunity.

“I’m trying to stay indoors as much as I can because the couple of times I have been out I haven’t been able to walk too far, but it’s fun,” Luongo joked of being mobbed while trying to soak up Olympic atmosphere. “I’m sleeping great. Obviously the nerves are there the whole day, so by the time the game is done you are pretty much gassed anyway. It is all part of the big scheme of things here and there’s only a few days left. So we are going to enjoy them and we are really looking forward to (playing the Slovaks).”

As for the danger of a letdown after such a big win against Russia on Wednesday, Luongo said the situation and the crowd makes it hard to lose sight of the more immediate task at hand, refusing to entertain questions about a possible gold-medal rematch with the Americans. The same deafening roars inside the building he calls home with as the Canucks captain should also help deal a patient counter-attacking style that saw Slovakia score on three of four shots in the second period against Sweden Wednesday. New York Rangers stopper Henrik Lundqvist indicated after the game that he lost his early rhythm while the puck was in the other end – “I never saw the puck. I only saw it in the net” – but Luongo isn’t worried about losing focus.

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“It’s not a problem,” he said. “The adrenaline is going the whole game and obviously I’ve been in situations this tournament where I haven’t seen much action, so you know the emotion takes over and that’s what keeps you focused and sharp. If not, the fans will keep you into it. There’s a gold medal on the line and that’s what we’re all focused on. They’ve got skill, and even though they don’t get a lot of shots, they’ve got guys that can put pucks in the net.”

Luongo has said in the past that getting out and playing the puck more is one way to stay in a game where he doesn’t see a lot of rubber, but made it clear Thursday he doesn’t prepare any differently for a slow night. In fact, he doesn’t even consider the possibility.

“I don’t go into a game expecting one thing or the other because you never know what can happen,” he said. “I didn’t expect a six-goal lead (against Russia) either so you just go in and worry about what makes you successful and what you do to be on top of your game.”

That includes finding a balance between the excitement created by a raucous home crowd and not using up all his energy early.

“You try to be as relaxed as possible during the day, even though that’s sometimes a bit hard knowing what is at stake,” Luongo said. “You try to take it easy and whether you are nervous or not by the time the game starts you are at full throttle and ready to go.”

Kevin Woodley is a rec-league target and former contributing editor of the Goalie News magazine. He has written about the Vancouver Canucks and NHL for The Associated Press, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Hockey News for the last decade, and is currently at the Olympics for AP.

Photos thanks to s.yume