The previous record holder was John "Beezer" Vanbiesbrouck, who made 52 saves on Jan. 3, 1994.
"This is probably the best goaltending we've had against us this year,"
Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman told reporters when asked about Luongo's record-setting performance following the game.
Making Luongo's historic start even more impressive was just how dominant Detroit was that season.
En route to the capturing their 10th Stanley Cup in franchise history, the Red Wings led the NHL with 51 wins during the 2001-02 campaign. In addition to having Bowman behind the bench, they also boasted a plethora of future Hall of Famers on the ice, including Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom and Brett Hull.
\[The Vault: Luongo sets up between the pipes\]
With 48 seconds left in overtime, it was Hull that beat Luongo to spoil an almost perfect night in Sunrise.
"That's the only one that was going to go in for me tonight," said Hull, who had been denied by Luongo on his first nine shots of the game. "It's frustrating to have all those chances, but you can't let it show."
In an odd and unfortunate turn of events, the goal came just after Luongo's record save was announced.
"As they finished saying it, (Detroit) scored,"
Luongo told The Athletic
. "You always have a little superstition in you. Obviously, that's not why they scored. But it's like saying 'shutout' when you have a shutout. I don't really care (about) it, but some people take it seriously."
Still, despite the outcome, Luongo won the respect of his counterparts, including Dominik Hasek.
"He played a great game and I really enjoyed watching him," Detroit's Hall-of-Fame netminder said.
After manning the crease for 19 seasons in the NHL -- including parts of 11 with the Panthers -- Luongo officially hung up his skates and retired on June 26, 2019, finishing his long and illustrious career ranking second in NHL history in games played by a goalie (1,044), third in wins (489) and ninth in shutouts (77).
On March 7, 2020, he also became the first player in Panthers history to have his number retired when his No. 1 sweater was raised into the rafters at BB&T Center during an emotional pre-game ceremony.
\[The Vault: Luongo graces the cover of Growl Magazine\]
"When I was a kid, being No. 1 meant being No. 1, just being the best at everything," said Luongo, who also ranks first in franchise history in wins (247), saves (17,501) and shutouts (38). "I tried to be the best at everything I did. No. 1 in your programs, No. 1 in your hearts."
In the history of the Panthers, a goaltender has made at least 50 saves on eight different occasions.
Of those eight games, five belong to Luongo.
