Penguins goalie Louis Domingue lived a dream in Pittsburgh’s Game 1 win over the Rangers. The netminder made headlines when he entered during the second overtime after Casey DeSmith suffered a lower-body injury, saving 17 shots en route to a 4-3 win in a 3OT thriller.
That dream quickly turned into a nightmare in Game 2. With time to make a gameplan, the Rangers peppered the net. Domingue held up the best he could, but 35 of the 40 shots on goal got through, giving the Rangers a 5-2 victory despite some bad defensive play and tying the series at 1-1 heading to PPG Paints Arena.
Now, heading into Game 3, the Penguins will have to turn to Domingue full-time. The team said DeSmith underwent core muscle surgery on Friday that will sideline him for the rest of the playoffs. Making things worse, there is still no timeline for regular starter Tristan Jarry’s return after Jarry broke his foot on April 14 against the Islanders.
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Domingue’s only playoff experience prior to this season came in 2018, when he was brought in against the Capitals to replace Andrei Vasilevskiy. Domingue saved seven shots in a 4-2 loss.
Casey DeSmith injury update
DeSmith’s injury Tuesday was abrupt. While there was some jostling on the boards on the Penguins end, a sharp whistle disrupted play and DeSmith left the ice. He looked hobbled walking down the tunnel.
DeSmith had surgery Friday morning that will keep him out for the rest of the playoffs. DeSmith, a free agent at the end of the season, had a 2.79 goals against average in 26 games this year. He’s been with Pittsburgh since his rookie season in 2017.
Due to the clandestine nature of hockey injuries, it’s hard to know exactly what he felt when play was halted Monday.
Penguins goalies with Casey DeSmith out
Domingue will continue to be the starter for the Penguins, with 23-year-old Alex D’Orio backing him up. It’s a shallow net for the Penguins, but they’re optimistic Jarry may be able to return before the end of the series. This was Jarry’s first season starting the majority of the Penguins’ games in the net.
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The shortcomings are exacerbated by the outstanding play of Igor Shesterkin on the other side. Shesterkin has been outstanding in his first full playoff series, saving 118 of 124 shots for the Rangers in his first two games.
Domingue vs. Shesterkin is a mismatch on paper, but the hope in Pittsburgh is undoubtedly that the Penguins can hold out until Jarry is cleared to return. If he can’t come back to play, it could be a long series.