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VANCOUVER - Roberto Luongo says if things had played out differently at last seasons Heritage Classic he might still be a member of the Vancouver Canucks.Former head coach John Tortorella started backup Eddie Lack over the veteran goaltender in the Canucks outdoor showcase game at B.C. Place Stadium against the Ottawa Senators on March 2, a game that Vancouver subsequently lost 4-2.Luongo was traded to the Florida Panthers two days later in a move that was widely speculated to have been precipitated by the snub, and the 35-year-old all but confirmed that to be the case on Tuesday at Rogers Arena ahead of Thursdays homecoming against the Canucks.Theres no hiding it. I did want to play that game, Luongo told reporters. I mean that goes without saying, and if I would have played I probably would maybe still be here. Who knows?Chants of Loo rang out around B.C. Place back in March to protest the decision to start Lack, but Luongo said he didnt feel disrespected by the organization or Tortorella — who was fired following one disastrous season that saw Vancouver miss the playoffs for the first time in six years.I feel like whatever the hand youre dealt you have to deal with it the best that you can, said Luongo. Maybe earlier in my career I would have used those terms, but I dont think its appropriate.I dont think Im owed anything.Thursdays game will be Luongos first in Vancouver since the trade and he touched on a number of memorable moments at his press conference, including winning gold for Canada at the 2010 Olympics and the run to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup.I enjoyed my time here. It was great, said Luongo. Im just disappointed I wasnt able to bring a Cup here. I think this market wants one more than anything, and if anything thats the main thing that Im disappointed about.He later added: The positives definitely outweigh the few negative things that happened.Most of those negatives occurred after the Cup final and included a goalie circus with Cory Schneider, demanding a trade, stating that his US$64-million, 12-year contract sucks and seeing Schneider dealt away. Then there was his perhaps ill-advised and short-lived captaincy that lasted from 2008 until 2010.Luongo went 19-16-6 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in his final season with Vancouver and won at least 30 games in six of his eight campaigns here, including two of more than 40 wins. Although he came across as aloof in the media and fans often criticized his play on the ice and demeanour off it, teammates loved his passion and drive.I think he was maybe misunderstood a little bit for a lot of people. He just wanted to win, said Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows. Thats the most important thing. For him to prepare and wanting to win, sometimes he might have done things that media didnt like or fans didnt like.But at the end of the day he wanted to be a real pro and win every game that he played. As a teammate he was great.Luongo — who doesnt blame former Canucks president and general manager Mike Gillis for how things unfolded — said he could have dealt with the spotlight better early in his Vancouver tenure after he was originally acquired from Florida back in 2006.I think sometimes you have to go through some adversity to realize and understand and do the right things, he said. Just my whole perspective on a lot of stuff has changed over the last couple of years, the way I handle things. (I) just try and have as much fun as I can out there realizing that Im 35 now.I just want to have fun playing the game and play hard and do the best I can.For all the heat directed his way, Luongo left Vancouver as a popular player in the city and the feeling is that sentiment remains.Theres a few things, the way I handled certain situations, that I wasnt happy with, said Luongo. Im happy that people were able to see who I really am and the way I am away from the cameras and around the guys and all that kind of stuff. It did feel good for people to see what kind of person I am.He added that there was a period before last seasons stunning trade that brought forward Shawn Matthias and minor-league goalie Jacob Markstrom to Vancouver where he was resigned to the fact that he wouldnt be moved because of his contract.I was just trying to focus on playing here and see what came up as far as teams and trades, said Luongo. At the end of the day everything happens for a reason and I guess thats just the way it had to work out.Luongo has the young Panthers in a hunt for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and sports a 15-7-7 record to go along with a .924 save percentage, a 2.28 goals-against average and two shutouts so far this season.Im just trying to be in the moment. Were doing pretty well as a team, said Luongo, who dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to Vancouver in Sunrise, Fla., a few weeks after the trade. It was a little bit unknown with all the new faces coming into the season. We had a lot of young guys, new coach.Were really close to being a really good team. Thats what my focus is on.Luongo said he isnt sure what kind of reception to expect from fans on Thursday night in his old stomping grounds, but joked that both will be familiar.Loos and boos, they all sound the same so I wont be able to tell the difference, he said with a smile. Hopefully a good (reaction) but thats not up to me. 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The 22-year-old Kreider was injured Friday night in New Yorks win at Columbus, but played in the next two games -- including Monday nights win over Phoenix. But the left winger, who has 17 goals and 37 points this season, was limited to about 10 minutes of ice time in each of the previous games.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 23 shots for a successful NHL debut, as the Tampa Bay Lightning claimed a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday. Recalled from Syracuse of the AHL prior to the contest, Vasilevskiy was the reigning player of the week in the league. He was pressed into duty since backup Evgeni Nabokov played most of Mondays loss in Pittsburgh thanks to an injury to starter Ben Bishop. It was one of those things coming in. Weve been going through a little bit of a tough stretch here, said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. We played him because hes a talented kid, but we thought he might be able to give us a spark and clearly he did. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson and Valtteri Filppula lit the lamp for the Bolts, who were coming off consecutive road losses to the Capitals and Penguins. Ryan Callahan added two assists for Tampa, which also reached the 20-win plateau. Wayne Simmonds posted a power-play goal for the Flyers, who had won their first two of a four-game homestand. Steve Mason made 20 stops in defeat. Theyre always sound defensively. They have a lot of players on that team that can skate well, Simmonds noted. They check well in the defensive zone. It was a tight game. Weve just got to find a way to get on the other side of one-goal games like that. Stamkos ripped a shot home from the right circle at 1:50 of the second period, and the Bolts took a 22-1 lead at 6:34 when Johnson tipped in a cross- crease pass from Nikita Kucherov which ticked off the skate of Callahan just as a Tampa power play expired.dddddddddddd Vasilevsky didnt have to work much to make that lead hold up, needing only six saves in the middle 20 minutes. He made eight more saves in the third period, but only was required to stop one Philadelphia shot with Mason pulled in the final 1:57 of regulation. Its awesome. It was my childhood dream. And today I am playing in the best league in the world, said Vasilevskiy. Im very excited. Its the best feeling in my life. Filppula hit the empty net with 41.8 seconds to play which sealed the outcome. After killing off two penalties in a four-minute span, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead to intermission after Simmonds tipped in a Streit point drive with 40.4 on the first-period clock. Game Notes Tampa Bay has won five of its last seven games in Philadelphia since October of 2010 ... Vasilevskiy stopped 55-of-56 shots last week for the Crunch, and went 8-3-3 with two shutouts and a 2.34 GAA in 14 appearances this season ... Stamkos upped his career totals against the Flyers to 17 goals and nine assists in 22 games ... Philly completes its residency on Thursday against the Panthers ... Despite the loss, the Flyers recorded a man-advantage score for the eighth straight game, the longest current streak in the NHL. 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