Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Goalie nods: Luongo gets surprise start after Reimer’s wife goes into labor

Florida Panthers v New York Islanders

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 11: Roberto Luongo #1 of the Florida Panthers keeps his eyes on the play during the second period against the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on January 11, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Getty Images

James Reimer was supposed to start for the Florida Panthers tonight at home to Ottawa, but it will be Roberto Luongo instead after Reimer’s wife went into labor.

Interim coach Tom Rowe got a call from Reimer at 4 a.m. this morning informing him of the news.

“The baby is on the way I guess and he’s home,” said Rowe, per the Miami Herald.

The baby has since arrived:

Rowe had been hoping to ride the hot hand before the plan changed. Reimer was named first star in Thursday’s 2-1 OT victory over Tampa Bay, the Panthers’ last game before the All-Star break.

Not that Luongo has been playing all that poorly; he just hasn’t been getting the wins. The 37-year-old has an impressive .925 save percentage in January, but his record is a modest 2-4-1.

Who else but Mike Condon will start for the Senators.

Elsewhere…

-- Thomas Greiss, with a new contract extension, will start for the Islanders at home to Washington. Philipp Grubauer gets the assignment for the Caps, after Braden Holtby spent the weekend at the All-Star Game in Los Angeles.

-- Henrik Lundqvist will try to stay hot for the Rangers against the visitors from Columbus. Joonas Korpisalo gets the nod for the Blue Jackets, after Sergei Bobrovsky represented the club in L.A.

-- Matt Murray and Pekka Rinne are expected in Pittsburgh when the Penguins host the Predators.

-- Tuukka Rask was in L.A. this weekend, but he’s expected to play anyway when the Bruins take on the Lightning tonight in Tampa. Ben Bishop will go for the Bolts.

-- It’ll be Steve Mason versus Cam Ward when the Flyers and Hurricanes meet in Carolina.

-- In Detroit, Cory Schneider for the Devils versus Jared Coreau for the Red Wings.

-- Even though Connor Hellebuyck went into the break with a winning performance in Chicago, Ondrej Pavelec will start for the Winnipeg Jets tonight in St. Louis. For the Blues, it’ll be Jake Allen making his first start in two weeks.

-- Carey Price for the Canadiens versus Robin Lehner for the Sabres in Montreal.

-- Frederik Anderson for the Maple Leafs versus Kari Lehtonen for the Stars in Dallas.

-- Darcy Kuemper has allowed at least three goals in each of his last four starts. He’ll get the nod for the Wild in Edmonton, where Cam Talbot will start for the Oilers.

-- Skills competition hero Mike Smith will start for the Coyotes in Glendale. No official word on a starter for the Kings, but bet on Peter Budaj.

-- Calvin Pickard for the Avalanche versus John Gibson for the Ducks in Anaheim.

-- A couple of All Stars square off in San Jose, where it’ll be Corey Crawford for the Blackhawks versus Martin Jones for the Sharks.