Music: {allcanada} SCHNEIDER EXPECTS UNEXPECTED

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

{allcanada} SCHNEIDER EXPECTS UNEXPECTED

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Roberto Luongo started his fourth straight game for the Vancouver Canucks Monday night.

Roberto Luongo was named the NHL's third star for the week earlier in the day.

Roberto Luongo was heavily rumoured to have been the reason general manager Mike Gillis attended the Washington Capitals game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday, although Gillis quickly dismissed that notion.

CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

Chris Nichols | February 5, 2013, 12:25 am

Twitter @Nichols_NHLPool

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SCHNEIDER EXPECTS UNEXPECTED

Roberto Luongo started his fourth straight game for the Vancouver Canucks Monday night.

Roberto Luongo was named the NHL's third star for the week earlier in the day.

The Vancouver Province poses a likely widely-wondered question: What is Cory Schneider really thinking these days?

Schneider signed a three-year, $12-million contract extension because he was named the starter in the third game of the playoffs and knew Roberto Luongo had agreed to waive his no-trade clause and move on. But Schneider's agent, former goalie Mike Liut, warned of expecting the unexpected.

"We decided to sign that contract knowing full well what the possibilities were and how remote or likely or whatever you want to call it," said Schneider. "You sign a contract and it's your word and you have to try and fulfill it and that's what I'm trying to do. I'm not trying to over-think this. Roberto is playing extremely good hockey and I'm just waiting for my opportunity to play again. I don't sit and dwell on it and think of what could be.

Schneider should take comfort in his body of work during the 2011-12 season. In five straight November victories when Luongo was briefly injured, the starter watched his younger crease companion post back-to-back shutouts in Colorado and Phoenix and a 43-save win in San Jose. Schneider also had the monumental win in Boston and rescued the Canucks in the second half of back-to-back road games with a shootout victory at Tampa Bay.

"As a pro, you accept that," said Schneider. "If you're being outplayed, somebody's going to take your job and it's as simple as that. Nothing is given and nothing is guaranteed in this world."

Luongo said he is comfortable with the "compliments and a lot of support and [people] asking me if I want to play for their team."