Roberto Luongo Goes Down With an Apparent Groin Injury

It was only a few weeks ago that the New Jersey Devils lost Martin Brodeur to injury for most of the season, and now it looks like the NHL has lost another elite goalie to injury after Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo left this afternoon's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an apparent groin injury. The Vancouver Sun has the details:

Vancouver impressively beat the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 here, but lost goalie and franchise cornerstone Roberto Luongo with what appeared to be a serious injury to his left groin.

Canuck coach Alain Vigneault said the severity of the injury won't be known until Luongo undergoes an MRI exam Sunday in Vancouver, but it did not look like Luongo will be able to play anytime soon.

So what does this mean for Vancouver? In short, nothing good.

Luongo isn't just one of the league's elite goalies, he's generally acknowledged to be the best in the game, and has been since his days with the Florida Panthers when he consistently faced more rubber than any other goalie in the league while keeping his team in the game more often than not. If he's gone for any longer than a couple of weeks, the Canucks are cooked -- which is why my old buddy Alanah McGinley quickly endorsed midday cocktails for Canucks Nation.

Drink up, it's going to be a rough ride.