Luongo sparkles in return, lifts Panthers past Jets in Finland

HELSINKI -- Roberto Luongo admitted it was a helpless feeling having to watch the Florida Panthers stumble through October while he recovered from a knee injury.

But he was all smiles after he made 32 saves to help the Panthers win in regulation for the first time this season, 4-2 against the Winnipeg Jets in the final game of the 2018 NHL Global Series at Hartwall Arena on Friday.
"Once in English, once in Finnish, OK?" Luongo joked to reporters after the game.
RELATED: [Luongo helps Panthers top Jets at Global Series finale in Finland | Complete Global Series coverage]
It was the type of relaxed atmosphere likely much needed in the Panthers locker room, given their 2-5-3 record entering Friday, including a 4-2 loss to the Jets the night before.
Panthers coach Bob Boughner mentioned earlier in the week that it was going to be unlikely for Luongo to return in Finland. He participated in a full practice on Tuesday for the first time since injuring his knee in the second period of Florida's season opener, a 2-1 shootout loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 6.
But with losses piling up and Luongo getting back to health, he couldn't take it anymore.
"I was aiming [to return] more towards next week," Luongo said. "But I've been feeling really good in practice the last few days and I had a good morning skate yesterday. I felt like I was where I needed to be and I was excited to get back in the lineup.
"[The coaches] left it up to me. It was my call whether I wanted to start today or wait until next week. I wasn't quite sure early in the week, but the closer we got to today the better I felt."

Luongo was up to the task early. He denied Jets right wing and Finnish sensation Patrik Laine with a glove save on a wrist shot from the left face-off circle 4:15 into the first period.
He kept the Panthers within a goal at 4:35 of the second period when he gobbled up Jets center Mark Scheifele's shorthanded chance on a 2-on-1. Forward Mike Hoffman scored 24 seconds later to tie it 2-2.
And then in the third, Luongo was the best player on the ice. He made 17 saves and secured a much-needed victory.
"It's tough. I went through it last year," said Luongo, who missed more than two months because of a groin injury last season. "It's never fun to be watching on TV while the guys are playing and you're sitting. I was working hard trying to come back as soon as possible. I wish I could have come back even sooner, but it is what it is.
"We definitely didn't want to go back home with two losses; we wanted to get the split," Luongo said. "They're a good team on the other side and we knew that to win it would have to take a special effort. I thought everybody chipped in tonight. It was great."
His teammates are certainly relieved to have him back.
"You guys all saw it, how good of a goalie he is," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. "[James] Reimer has been really good the last couple of games and when we get that type of goalie like [Luongo] back, it's not only on the ice, it's in the locker room too.
"He gives us a lot of confidence. He's telling us what to do, he talks a lot on the ice and off the ice."