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Luongo excels in unexpected start

Roberto Luongo

Vancouver Canucks’ goalie Roberto Luongo looks up during the singing of “O Canada” before the Canucks played the Edmonton Oilers in an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck

AP

After watching Cory Schneider from the bench since March 18, Roberto Luongo finally got a chance to play on Wednesday. He might just get more reps after stopping 40 out of 41 shots as the Vancouver Canucks topped the Calgary Flames 4-1.

This marks Vancouver’s fourth consecutive win, opening up a six-point lead in the Northwest Division (although the Minnesota Wild do hold a game in hand).

Curtis Glencross scored the night’s first goal, but then Luongo and the Canucks took over from there. Daniel Sedin collected his first power-play tally since Jan. 25, Henrik Sedin had two assists and Dan Hamhuis also produced two helpers (extending his personal point streak to five games).

The Canucks have struggled quite a bit this season, but with the Derek Roy trade and Ryan Kesler back, they might just be a dark horse candidate in the West. (Not that this team really slips under the radar.)