Roberto Luongo Becomes 5th Goaltender with 450 Career Victories

Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo earned his 450th career win in Tuesday's victory over the Ottawa Senators, becoming just the fifth goalie in NHL history to reach that mark, per Sportsnet Stats.

Luongo didn't showcase his best effort in his milestone victory, allowing five goals on 41 shots in the contest. He had four previous opportunities to top the sum but dropped each one of them prior to the NHL All-Star break.

The 37-year-old netminder hasn't posted one of his better career seasons, allowing 2.53 goals per game. However, his .919 save percentage matches his career mark, suggesting that he's facing a high volume of shots.

Some of Luongo's struggles stem from the team's inability to provide offensive support. Florida averages just 2.3 goals per game through 52 contests this season, good for 26th in the NHL.

Fortunately, a couple of Florida's star forwards are drawing closer to rejoining the lineup. Both Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov returned to practice Monday for the first time since their respective injuries, per George Richards of the Miami Herald. While neither player is expected to return this week, Barkov stated he "[hopes] to be able to play soon," and Huberdeau is aiming for a return in early March.

Florida sits just four points behind the Senators in the Atlantic Division, keeping the club in the mix for a playoff spot.

Should the Panthers earn a postseason bid, Luongo and fellow netminder James Reimer should play pivotal roles in any team success. With the additional offensive support from the returning forwards, the club could enter the playoffs in a position to make some noise.