SUNRISE, Fla. -- When Roberto Luongo learned he wouldnt be starting the Heritage Classic, the disappointed goaltender asked agent Pat Brisson to call Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis just to get a read on his future. When Gillis gave Brisson permission to seek out a potential trade partner for the goalie and his massive contract, the attention turned quickly to the Panthers -- and not just because Luongo calls South Florida home. "It had to be a hockey move," Brisson said. "Roberto wants to play, wants to win. He wants to compete and win. ... When Roberto asked me, I said, I do believe that theres a light at the end of the tunnel for (the Panthers)," Brisson said. "I do believe theres a place where this team is going to go in the right direction." While the Canucks head in the direction of a rebuild, the Panthers look like a team on the upward climb thanks to new owner Vinny Viola and a cadre of young prospects GM Dale Tallon has assembled in the NHLs southernmost market. Through two games with his new team, Luongo has already caught a glimpse of what he and many hockey people believe is a bright future for the Panthers. Luongo sees potential stars in Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad and a handful more young players around the locker-room. At 34 years old, he wants to contribute to the revival of the franchise rather than riding coattails. "Its all about making a commitment to bringing some people in and trying to build a winner," Luongo said Sunday night after facing the Boston Bruins. "Thats what its all about for me. Im not here to fade into the sunset. I want to be part of something special coming here." Something special in the short term might just mean making the playoffs after missing in 11 of the past 12 seasons. Even as the Panthers head toward another early off-season, Bjugstad hopes its just "growing pains" as part of an important learning experience. Thats to be expected for a team whose top players include 18-year-old Aleksander Barkov, 20-year-old Huberdeau, and 22-year-old Erik Gudbranson. Players were on a bus in Boston when they found out Luongo was coming and represented something of a safety valve for mistakes of youth. "Any time you can have a solid goaltender behind you, it gives you confidence that you can make some plays," said 20-year-old forward Vincent Trocheck, who made his Panthers debut the same game Luongo returned. "If you do make a mistake, you know that hes back there to save your butt, basically." Yet in the larger scope, Luongo is not being asked to save a franchise by himself. It is, however, Tallons hope that trading for him "sets the tone" for the organization. The message of taking on the final eight-plus years and over US$28 million of Luongos contract was that the Panthers are willing to spend. Hours after making the move, Tallon said it was about making good on all the talk about wanting to win a Stanley Cup because "talk is cheap." Doing so could be expensive, but its not out of the realm of possibility that Florida has a better chance of winning a Cup in the next four or five years than Vancouver. "You never know," Luongo said. "Its tough to say. You hope so. Thats why Im here. I think the pieces are definitely here, just a matter of making sure that we bring the right piece to complement these young guys that are talented and theyre going to be stars in this league." Tallon has a plan. After already taking the goaltending gamble that was Jacob Markstrom out of the equation and getting Luongo, he has his sights set on signing, drafting or trading for two power wingers to support Barkov, Huberdeau, Bjugstad and Trocheck. The Panthers payroll is the lowest in the league at just over US$50 million, but with Viola in charge, Tallon expects to be "a cap team or close to a cap team" next season. Having almost $30 million of cap space could help the Panthers continue down the path to being a contender, but it also helps to have Luongo as a salesman and a symbol of the clubs all-out push to get better. "Its hard to recruit anybody if they dont think youre doing the right thing," Tallon said. "I think the commitment of making that deal and the commitment that Vinny Violas going to make ... will really influence a lot of decisions as far as players wanting to come here, seeing that were really committed to winning." Luongo didnt keep close tabs on the Panthers rebuild while he was playing for the Canucks because he didnt expect to get traded, let alone back to Florida. But Brisson, who just negotiated a two-year extension for winger Brad Boyes, had a good sense of what was happening. New ownership meant a new opportunity for Luongo. "If it was back to the former ownership where they werent sure what they wanted to spend, what they wanted to do, I wouldnt have recommended it at the time -- absolutely not," Brisson said. "If you look at good ownership and willingness to spend and the right chef, so to speak, the right cook in the kitchen, its an attractive place for Roberto and the players that are there." Tallon is that chef, and he has quite the recipe on his resume. Even though Stan Bowman was the general manager when the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup, Tallon orchestrated much of the turnaround in Chicago. "It went well for them," Bjugstad said. "Thats kind of what were banking on." For every Blackhawks success story theres another example like the Edmonton Oilers, who are set to miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season despite three straight No. 1 picks and six in the top 10. They provide a cautionary tale for the Panthers, even as Tallon rattles off prospect after prospect who could make a difference. Each one of those young, unproven players represents essentially a raffle ticket for Florida, another chance to hit it big. But theres plenty of risk and uncertainty in that. "Obviously weve got to prove ourselves before we can get too excited," Bjugstad said. "Theres a ways to go." In Luongo, the young Panthers get a goalie who is already established. Even if his play is not Vezina Trophy-calibre, he could instill plenty of confidence on and off the ice. "I think maybe as more of an experienced guy in the locker-room to bring whatever I have learned over the years and maybe help them out along the way as far as just being a pro and all that kind of stuff to help their development," Luongo said. That team-wide development and progression toward a playoff team is still in the "early" stages, according to Tallon. Luongos addition speeds it up, but theres still no set goal on when he figures the Panthers will get over the hump. "I dont put numbers on that," he said. "I just let the players start to develop and see when theyre ready to make a real hit on the team as far as moving forward. And when they all come together as a group, as a team, not just in a group of individuals, thats when you pretty well know when youve got something special." Chris Chelios Jersey .J. -- Travis Zajac of the New Jersey Devils took a lot of grief considering his scored the first of his career-best three goals just 12 seconds into a crucial game against the Florida Panthers. Terry Sawchuk Jersey .Martin Caceres marked his return from injury by scoring in the 3-1 win at Napoli and he believes Juventus sent out a warning to the rest of the league with that result.We go out on the pitch every game looking to give our all, Caceres said. http://www.hockeyredwings.info/authentic...d-wings-jersey/. Lawries batting helmet hit an umpire during his ninth-inning outburst in the Jays 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The 22-year-old threw his helmet to the ground and it bounced up and hit home plate umpire Bill Miller on the right hip after Lawrie was called out on strikes for the second out. Steve Yzerman Jersey . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. Jonathan Ericsson Jersey . -- David Ortiz saved his only hit for a key moment for the Boston Red Sox.MIAMI -- Game-high in points. Game-high in assists. Game-high in steals. Oh, and for good measure, he made as many 3-pointers as the entire Miami Heat roster. Stephen Curry had another night to remember. And the Golden State Warriors continued their surge. Curry finished with 36 points, 12 assists, four steals and made eight 3-pointers, David Lee finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Warriors ran past the Heat 123-114 Thursday night to extend the NBAs longest current winning streak to seven games. "Curry was spectacular," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "If he doesnt make the All-Star team, I might retire." If the Heat had a vote, Jacksons job would be safe. "One of the best shooters this NBA will see," Heat star LeBron James said. "I mean, if you can find a better shooter than him right now, especially with the way he handles the ball -- and the light that he has, its more than green, its fluorescent -- you just hope that he misses." He did miss a few. Just not very many. Curry was 13 for 22 from the floor, 8 of 15 from beyond the arc. Lee made 13 of 17 shots. The Warriors made 15 3-pointers; the Heat managed only eight. "Its a good experience against a championship-calibre team," Curry said. "They know how to get it done so to come in here and play the way we did, it shows were on the right path." Klay Thompson scored 16 points and Harrison Barnes added 15 for the Warriors. James scored 26 points and Dwyane Wade added 22 for the Heat, who had all five starters in double figures. Chris Bosh scored 19, Mario Chalmers had 17 and Shane Battier added 11 for Miami. But the Heat allowed Golden State to shoot 56 per cent, plus finish with a 40-31 rebounding edge. "They played a heck of a ball game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They deserved to win this one." About the only blip for the Warriors were turnovers. They had 20, which Miami turned into 32 points. Without those, this might have been a lot worse. "Moree than anything it keeps the ball rolling," Lee said after matching his season-high for scoring.dddddddddddd "Anytime you play the champions like this its a measuring point. Tonight was no exception." They were sizzling from the get-go. The Warriors opened by making 11 of their first 13 shots -- and somewhat unbelievably, were trailing at time, down 29-28 for a few seconds late in the first quarter. Golden State scored on 14 of its first 21 possessions and led 38-33 after the opening quarter, putting up the highest point total for any period against the Heat this season. Things cooled, albeit slightly, in the second, and the Warriors went into the break with a 65-61 advantage. And then the third quarter was all about Curry. He was dazzling, wowing Julius Erving at one end, Johnny Manziel on the other and pretty much frustrating the Heat at all points in between. "Nothing you can do," Wade said. "You contest it and hope he misses." Curry went on a personal 7-0 run early in the period, all of them jumpers, one where he gave a quick look-back to James after a high-arcing, high-difficulty connection from the right corner. That barrage gave Golden State a 13-point lead, and a 3 from Curry put the Warriors up 91-76 with 3:27 left in the quarter. Curry had 14 in the quarter, matching his output from the entire first half. The lead was down to nine entering the fourth, down to six when James made a 3-pointer with 5:18 left -- but Currys final 3 of the night pushed the margin back to nine with about 3 minutes remaining, and the Heat never got closer. "Vintage Steph," Lee said. NOTES: Golden States 123 points were the most allowed by the Heat at home in a non-overtime game since James, Wade and Bosh became teammates. ... Attendance was 20,350, tying the largest home regular-season crowd for the Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena. ... The only others with at least 35 points and 12 assists against Miami in a game: Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson, according to STATS. 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