CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. -The Lomberghini is fueled up and ready for another season in South Florida.
With his patented long locks flowing out from his helmet and cutting through the air like a car's spoiler, Ryan Lomberg kept his motor running all throughout Thursday's season-opening win over the Penguins at FLA Live Arena as he tallied a team-leading four hits to go along with two shots on goal over 8:31 of ice time.
Per NaturalStatTrick.com, the Panthers also led 15-3 in shot attempts when he was deployed at 5-on-5.
Q&A: Lomberg Talks First Win, Fan Support & More!
"He was doing his thing," head coach Joel Quenneville said of Lomberg, who is now in his second season with the Cats. "I thought he was very noticeable last night. He had a lot of hits. He influenced a lot of tight pucks areas and had some chances off the rush as well. I thought he was effective in a lot of ways."
Playing on an intriguing new-look fourth line with Joe Thornton and Anthony Duclair, Lomberg and his two linemates also teamed up to limit the Penguins to just one shot on goal over the 5:09 they spent together, while also recording six shots - including three fired from high-danger areas - of their own.
While lots could change as the season rolls along, that line's debut is a testament to Florida's depth.
"They all bring something different to the ice," Quenneville said of the trio.
After hitting the ice for practice on Friday, Lomberg sat down with FloridaPanthers.com's Jameson Olive at the Panthers IceDen to discuss the action on Opening Night, the buzz around South Florida and more.
OLIVE: After the success your team had last season, how good did it feel to not only open up the 2021-22 season with a victory, but to do so in such an exhilarating fashion against Pittsburgh on Thursday?
LOMBERG: It was really great. As far as the game went, it was a bit of a roller coaster for the first one. It was a good for us to battle back like that. We faced adversity pretty early on, so it was a great response.
OLIVE: Time and time again, the "Comeback Cats" have proved they can battle back from any deficit. When the team is facing an uphill climb like the other night, what do you think fuels that mentality?
LOMBERG:I think it's just belief. Not much has to be said. We know what we're capable of. We know that if we resort back to our systems and be predictable for one another that eventually it's going to go our way. I think that's a sign of a good team.
OLIVE: Sparking that comeback against Pittsburgh in the third period, Aaron Ekblad sliced the deficit down to 4-3 when the puck squirted out of a dogpile near the crease and right onto his stick for a key goal. As one of the players that was buried under that pile of Penguins, what did you see on the play?
LOMBERG:[Laughs]. I was just in front of the net and saw the puck sliding on the goal line. I dove for it and just tried to get any piece of my body to tap it and make it go in. It's one of those plays where you can see it, but can't do anything about it. It was inches from my face, but no matter what I did I couldn't get far enough to touch it. I don't know how the puck got knocked right back to Ekky, but it worked out.
OLIVE: How long did it take for you to finally get out from under that pile?
LOMBERG:I honestly don't know [laughs]. It's funny. I still thought I was out there with my line on that goal, but when I finally got back to my feet it felt like five minutes had gone by because there were four new players on the ice with me. I don't know where they came from, but we were all just celebrating.
OLIVE: After pulling within a goal, did you guys feel like momentum was back in your favor?
LOMBERG:I think so. Like I said, we know that no matter if we're down or how much time is left, we have a chance to come back. It doesn't matter who we're playing. That was the first domino to fall. It's just that belief that we knew it would eventually come if we all stayed with it.
OLIVE: That belief was certainly evident in overtime when, after Sergei Bobrovsky came up with a huge stop on a breakaway, Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winning goal to lock in the win. As someone that had a front-row seat on the bench, what was it like watching that sequence unfold?
LOMBGERG:It was great. It was also obviously entertaining for the fans. But, again, there's the belief in the locker room that when it's 3-on-3 we'll ride with our big guys and can take on anyone in the league.
OLIVE: Overall, your line also had a very productive night statistically. I know we're only one game into the season, but what have you liked so far about playing with Anthony Duclair and Joe Thornton?
LOMBERG:There's not many words that can put into perspective what it's like to play with Jumbo. He's just such a leader on the ice and so easy to play with. He's like a commander out there. He's so predictable. Then to play with a guy like Duke, with the skill and ability he has, we've got a lot of potential to be a strong fourth line, that's for sure.
OLIVE: What do you think you can learn from playing with a future Hall of Famer like Jumbo?
LOMBERG: Everything. He's just the type of guy where you try to take a step back and watch him and listen to him and ask him any question you have. He's been around forever. I've watched him my whole life growing up. To be around a guy like that, it's a very great privilege. To pick his brain and to see what kind of guy he is and what kind of teammate he is and how he carries himself, we're lucky to have him.
OLIVE: It seems like we've been talking about how deep this team is for months on end. How much do you the think the internal competition for playing time has pushed you to be even better this season?
LOMBERG:We are deep, for sure. It's about showing them that I can help them win every night. That's all I've got to do. I can't worry about whether I'm in or out, I've just got to work as hard as I can and make sure that I'm doing everything I can to help the team when I'm out there. That's my mentality.
OLIVE: The Islanders are coming to town on Saturday, but then right after that you guys will head across the state to battle the Lightning on Tuesday. How much do you look forward to those rivalry games, especially given all of the heated battles you guys have recently had with Tampa Bay already?
LOMBERG:It's safe to say they're our rivals, so there's always a little bit extra on the line when you're playing that team, especially because they're also the defending champs. As we get started this season, we're definitely out to prove something. To be able to stick it to them, that's what we're going for.
OLIVE: Safe to say the biggest moment of your career thus far was that game-winning goal you scored on Andrei Vasilevskiy in overtime in Game 3 against the Lightning in last year's playoffs. Even though it's been a while since that all went down, do you ever find yourself reflecting on that huge moment?
LOMBERG: Yeah, I do think about it from time to time. It brings me a little confidence when I feel like I need it. At same time, it's also in the past. I'm just looking forward to scoring many more goals on them.
OLIVE: Speaking of looking ahead, how much more comfortable to do you feel both in the area and within the organization now that you're in your second season with the Panthers?
LOMBERG: I think everybody from top to bottom in this organization is a quality person. From Day 1, everyone has done a great job of making myself feel welcome and also making all the new guys feel welcome. Now that I'm going into my second year here, there's definitely that sense of family and close relationships and stuff. All of that makes it easy to go to war on the ice for everyone in this organization.
OLIVE: Is there anyone on the team you spend more time with than others?
LOMBERG:I like to spread it out. I like to have meals with everyone. I can't pick one guy over all the others. I like everyone. I like to build relationships with everybody as best as I can.
OLIVE: When you are grabbing a bite, do you have a go-to place in Fort Lauderdale?
LOMBERG:My fiancée and I really like Louie Bossi's.
OLIVE: Does anyone every recognize you in public when you're out and about?
LOMBERG: Yeah, it's happened quite a few times. When I'm at the grocery store or at the pickleball court I'll get noticed sometimes. It's awesome. I didn't think that it'd be like this when I came down to South Florida to play hockey. Over and over again, I'm pleasantly surprised with how committed and passionate the fanbase is. It's amazing.
OLIVE: With the season only just beginning, how excited are you to keep building up that buzz?
LOMBERG: It's great. Every new guy that comes says the same thing: "Wow! I didn't know the fans were this good here." It's cool to see. Even with the pandemic we had amazing fans all of last season. We've got great fans and it's up to us keep that excitement going. We just love playing in our own building. The extra kick and energy we get from our fans when we're playing here, it's everything you could hope for.
