Luongo finds inspiration in Price: 'I want to be as good as Carey'
Carey Price is the standard for aspiring goalies and potential future Hall of Famers alike.
In an interview with Jason Botchford of the Province, Roberto Luongo said that even as he nears the twilight of his career, the pursuit of becoming the NHL's best goaltender, however unrealistic, continues to drive him.
"It's crazy for me to think this way, but I still want to be the best," he explained. "It drives me every day to work hard in practice, and to try to get better and sharper.
"That's what drives me inside right now. I want to be as good as Carey Price, even though that will never happen."
Sure, Luongo's former Olympic teammate is on a completely different level. But the heavily-bearded Florida Panthers stopper, who's gained such unique perspective on his profession over the last several seasons, has maintained an incredibly static standard of quality through it all.
Luongo is on pace to post a fourth consecutive season with a plus-.920 save percentage, or a total save rate slightly beyond his career average throughout his return stint with the Panthers.
Only six regulars have a better total efficiency rate during that stretch. Price, of course, being one of them.