Roberto Luongo takes sole possession of 12th all-time in goalie wins
SUNRISE, Fla. -- In leading the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night at the BB&T Center, goaltender Roberto Luongo not only helped secure a crucial two points in the standings, but also a place in hockey history.
With his 386th career victory, Luongo surpassed former Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Vernon for sole possession of 12th on the NHL's all-time wins list.
Luongo, 35, accomplished the feat in his 829th game, needing 48 more than Vernon to reach the mark.
The No. 4 overall pick of the New York Islanders in the 1997 draft, Luongo has secured 127 of his career victories as a member of the Panthers.
After the game, Luongo, who denied all seven Penguins shooters in Monday's shootout, stressed the importance of the effect his wins have in the standings rather than in the record books.
"The standings are what's important to me," Luongo said. "[We] just want to keep accumulating wins as a team, stay in the hunt, and hopefully get one of those [playoff] spots."
The Panthers, 15-9-8, sit in a tie with the New York Rangers for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
You can follow Jameson Olive on Twitter @JamesonCoop or email him at JamesonOlive@gmail.com.
