In today's Baptist Health Practice Notebook, Chris Driedger is feeling like his old self, Brian Boyle ditches his no-contact jersey, and players look forward to Roberto Luongo's big night.
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. - Chris Driedger said it felt as if he'd never left. After missing almost two months with a lower-body injury, the 25-year-old goaltender was stellar in his return to the crease, stopping 26 of 28 shots to help the Florida Panthers earn a point in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins at BB&T Center on Thursday.
NOTEBOOK: Driedger Feels Great; Boyle Back to Contact
"It's always tough to get back into it after a month and a half, almost two months off," Driedger told FloridaPanthers.com after Thursday's practice at the Panthers IceDen. "It was just good to get back into the routine and get back with the guys.
"It was a lot of fun, regardless of the outcome obviously. It was good to get back in there. It honestly felt like when I was in the net that I was right back where I'd left off. That was good. I'm just trying to build on that the rest of the season."
After beginning the season in the AHL, Driedger burst onto the scene when he became the first goaltender in Panthers history to post a shutout in their first-career NHL start after stopping all 27 shots he faced in an unforgettable 3-0 win over the Nashville Predators in Sunrise on Nov. 30.
From there, Driedger, who was originally selected by the Ottawa Senators in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft, continued to build upon his strong debut when called upon. And prior to being knocked out of the lineup, he'd registered a 5-2-0 record with a .932 save percentage.
"I was feeling good leading up to the injury," said Driedger, who inked a two-year, two-way contract with Florida this past summer. "I thought I was playing well and seeing the puck well. It's tough to have confidence, play well and then all of the sudden you're out for multiple weeks."
On his road to recovery, Driedger said he endured a lot of "long days" at the rink.
"The therapy staff here was unbelievable," he said of his rehab. "Those guys are incredible at what they do. They did a good job of getting me back and sort of retraining my lower-body to maybe getting into more positions with more strength so things like that don't happen again."
For Driedger, that "retraining" as he described it was one of the silver linings to come out of his stint on the injured reserve list. With his career in the NHL only just beginning to pick up steam, he now believes that he's even more prepared than before to deal with the rigors of his position.
"Every time there's an injury, there's something that wasn't functioning the way it should have been," Driedger said. "It's always a good learning an opportunity to see what happened. I looked at the injury as something like that, and that I had to make a few tweaks to how I did things."
With starter Sergei Bobrovsky still working his way back from a lower-body injury of his own, Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said after today's practice that Driedger will be between the pipes for a second consecutive start when the Montreal Canadiens come to town on Saturday.
"Before his injury he was really solid," Quenneville said of Driedger. "He came in and stabilized a couple of big games for us, won some games for us in the net. Yesterday he did everything he was supposed to do in that type of setting.
"He was big, patient, square. He found pucks. He did what he had to do. I loved his patience in a big, important game against a top team. I thought he handled it very well. It's going to be an equally hard test tomorrow night as well."
With just 15 games remaining on their schedule, the Panthers (33-26-8) currently trail the Toronto Maple Leafs (35-24-9) by five points for third place in the Atlantic Division with one game in hand and one head-to-head matchup remaining between the clubs on March 23.
Coming back at right time, Driedger said he's ready to aid the playoff push any way he can.
"Every game is huge," he said. "We're getting down to it where we've got to win almost every night. It's good. It's an exciting time. We're welcoming the challenge as a team. It'll be fun."
BOYLE BACK TO CONTACT
With Driedger now back in the fold, Brian Boyle appears to be right behind him.
Out of action since suffering an upper-body injury on Feb. 1 at Montreal, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound forward ditched his yellow no-contact jersey for the first time during today's practice.
"He got clearance to get contact now," Quenneville said with a smile.
After signing a one-year deal with the Panthers on Oct. 20, Boyle has provided the team with both production and a veteran presence. In 39 games, the 35-year-old has tallied 15 points (six goals, nine assists), 34 blocked shots and 65 hits, while also winning 52.4 percent of his draws.
Quenneville said although Boyle will not suit up against the Canadiens on Saturday, there is a chance he could return to the lineup during the team's crucial two-game road trip next week.
"We definitely can use his presence in a lot of ways," Quenneville said of Boyle. "He can kill penalties. He can get to the net-front on the power play. [He's good] in the faceoff circle. His leadership [is valuable]. He's a big part of our team."
A BIG NIGHT FOR NO. 1
Fans aren't the only ones looking forward to Roberto Luongo's jersey retirement ceremony.
When No. 1 is raised into the rafters at BB&T Center on Saturday (the festivities start at 5 p.m.), many of Luongo's former teammates will be looking on in awe, overflowing with memories of all the games, gags and more they shared together during his time manning the crease in Florida.
"It's going to be a big night for him and for us too," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said.
The first player in franchise history to have their number retired, Luongo hung up his skates this past summer after 19 seasons in the NHL, including parts of 11 with the Panthers. At the time of his retirement, he ranked third all-time among goalies in wins (489) and ninth in shutouts (77).
Luongo is also one of just three goaltenders to ever suit up in more than 1,000 NHL games.
"Everybody learned so much from him, but at the same time he's a legend," Barkov said." He's a living legend, a future Hall of Famer. But when you're around him, it doesn't feel that way. He's just a happy, normal guy that really just loves playing hockey. He's forever young."
For Jonathan Huberdeau, a chance to play with Luongo fulfilled a childhood dream.
"It's going to be cool," said Huberdeau, a fellow Quebec native. "Obviously being from Montreal, it's a special thing. We shared some years together in Florida. From watching him when I was younger to playing with him in this uniform, it's going to be cool to see his number up there."
To mark the occasion, doors to the arena will be opening a 4 p.m. to give fans ample time to get to their seats before the festivities begin. That being said, the earlier fans can arrive, the better! Additionally, all fans that attend the game will also receive a scale replica of Luongo's banner.
If you'd like to know more about Luongo's career or the ceremony, visit
FloridaPanthers.com/Luongo
.
