Goaltenders go back and forth about varying style

Reporting from Boston

Another day, another exchange of jabs between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup finals.

To recap: After Maxim Lapierre scored on a carom off the end boards to give the Canucks a 1-0 victory in Game 5, Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo was asked to analyze the play from a goaltender’s perspective. “It’s not hard if you’re playing in the paint. It’s an easy save for me, but if you’re wandering out and aggressive like he does, that’s going to happen,” Luongo said.

He was referring to his stay-in-the-net style and the adventurousness of Boston’s Tim Thomas, but the Bruins took it as an insult. Luongo seemed miffed they were offended.

“I’ve been pumping his tires since the series started and I haven’t heard one nice thing he’s had to say about me,” Luongo told reporters Saturday before the team’s flight to Boston.

Thomas said Sunday he preferred to focus on the Bruins’ need to win Game 6 Monday at TD Garden or watch the Canucks win the Stanley Cup, but he couldn’t resist one response.

“I didn’t realize it was my job to pump his tires,” Thomas said. “I guess I have to apologize for that.”

Back to you, Roberto. “At the end of the day, I’m one win away from winning a Stanley Cup and that’s all I really care about now,” Luongo said. “All the other stuff is noise to me and doesn’t really affect what’s going to take place for me [Monday] night.”

Rome talks about hit

Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome, in his first public comments since he made a late hit on Boston winger Nathan Horton in Game 3 and was suspended four games, said he didn’t intend to injure Horton but would make that hit again. Horton sustained a season-ending concussion.

“I have been on the tough end of hits like that. It’s a split-second decision and if I could go back I wish he didn’t get hurt, but I don’t think it would change my decision on the play,” said Rome, whose suspension was the longest ever imposed during the Cup finals.

“I’ve got to step up and be physical, that’s part of my game, and it’s just unfortunate…. The game happens fast and for me I have to play on the edge and I guess that time I was a little bit over the edge.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com

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