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Luongo's latest injury underscores importance of Reimer signing

Steve Mitchell / USA Today Sports

The James Reimer signing is looking more and more like a stroke of genius.

The Florida Panthers backup goaltender was stellar again Thursday night in relief of the injured Roberto Luongo, and he'll be counted on to keep it up now that the 37-year-old will miss at least a week after aggravating a nagging ailment that's apparently related to his hip problems from a season ago.

Luongo's injuries and subpar play have allowed Reimer to secure a larger share of the work than most backups, and he's seized the opportunity. Here's how the two goalies have stacked up over the course of the season:

Goalie GP Record GAA SV %.
Luongo 40 17-15-6 2.68 .915
Reimer 28 12-8-5 2.43 .922

Reimer has been particularly effective since the calendar flipped to 2017, outperforming Luongo considerably since Jan. 1:

Goalie GP Record GAA SV%
Luongo 15 6-6-1 3.18 .906
Reimer 13 7-3-2 2.24 .929

Luongo recently admitted Reimer deserves to be playing over him, and the veteran's latest injury concern further emphasizes the importance of the backup's presence in a crease that would be otherwise handed to journeyman Reto Berra, who was recalled Friday to serve behind Reimer.

The oft-sidelined Luongo has played through hip and shoulder injuries over the last two seasons, and those woes, combined with his age, were clearly reasons that Panthers management sought a reliable backup with starting experience who could step in should Luongo be felled again.

The signing of Reimer to a five-year, $17-million contract last July 1 was largely viewed as a smart move at the time, but the transaction appears more and more brilliant as Reimer continues to play well, and especially prescient now that Luongo's injury concerns have returned.

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