NEW YORK -- Louis Domingue knew two of the officials in Tuesday's Game 1 of the Penguins' Stanley Cup playoff series against the Rangers pretty well. They were Frederick L'Ecuyer and Jonny Murray, two Quebec natives, like Domingue.
Play was stopped near the midway point of the second overtime period, and Casey DeSmith skated over to the visitors' bench. Domingue, sitting in the tunnel down at the corner of the rink due to the short bench at Madison Square Garden, was craning his neck to see what was going on.
L'Ecuyer and Murray came down to Domingue's corner and told him that he would be entering the game, and he didn't even believe them at first.
"I honestly thought they were joking with me," he said.
Domingue then saw DeSmith skating in his direction, moving with a slight limp, and realized that the two officials weren't pulling his leg. He'd have to enter the game. In the playoffs. In double-overtime. After sitting around for the last four hours.
Domingue rose to the occasion. He finished the remainder of the second overtime period and was back on the ice for the start of the third overtime, playing a total of 16:40. He stopped all 17 shots faced before Evgeni Malkin beat Igor Shesterkin at the other end to give the Penguins a 4-3 triple-overtime win.
Domingue's been a backup for much of his professional career. He's no stranger to entering a game in relief, coming off the bench cold. But after sitting for four hours? It's unheard of. Domingue is the first goaltender to ever enter a game in the second overtime period or later in NHL history.
"I thought Louis did a terrific job," Mike Sullivan said. "That's not an easy task when you're sitting on the bench for that long. It's hard enough in a regular game, not to mention the extra time that we played. He was sitting on the bench for a long time."
I could see Domingue earlier in the overtime periods in his corner of the ice, sitting on his stool and watching the action with scratched defenseman Mark Friedman. He was invested in the game much like the fans, flinching at the shots and jumping out of his seat every now and then for the bigger opportunities.
"I'd be lying if I said that I was engaged all the time," he said. "You know, there comes a time where you're just a fan. You just want your team to score. I was just there. I was watching and it just comes at you fast. It's crazy."
And like the fans, Domingue got a little hungry between overtime periods. Not expecting to go into the game between the first and second overtime periods, he ate something that he probably wouldn't have chosen had he known that he'd be entering the game shortly after.
"Spicy pork and broccoli," he said with a smile. "Not great. I needed something in my belly."
No, Domingue didn't DoorDash from a local Chinese restaurant. The spicy pork and broccoli was prepared for the team as a postgame meal, but Domingue went for his plate early given the circumstances.
Full of spicy pork, Domingue entered the game when called upon with the utmost confidence of his teammates. He only appeared in two NHL games with the Penguins in the regular season: A 40-save performance on 41 shots in a win in San Jose in January, and then a loss in which he stopped 39 of 42 shots in Philadelphia last month. He may have had limited action in games, but the Penguins saw how hard Domingue worked in practices during his time on the NHL roster.
"For me, I know Louis is unbelievable," Malkin said. "He's big. He's fast. I mean, I'm not nervous. It's hard to score on Louis in practice. Maybe he's cold a little bit, you know? But he made saves right away a couple times, and we felt like we were fine."
Domingue said that he felt good both physically and mentally, even given the tough circumstances.
"It was a lot coming at me fast," he said. "But it's something you prepare for as a backup. You've gotta be ready at all times. ... Quite honestly, I felt good right away. I felt zero pressure. You dream about that your whole life. You're playing in overtime in the playoffs? Are you kidding me? You think that you would be nervous going into a situation like that. But it was just fun for me."
Marcus Pettersson, the recipient of the last Bold Penguin postgame helmet in the regular season, chose Domingue as the recipient after the Game 1 win:
Goalies stick together. pic.twitter.com/6sF5eT4ItS
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 4, 2022
Domingue gave credit to DeSmith in his acceptance speech, saying that the Penguins "wouldn't be in this game without what Casey did before."
It was DeSmith's NHL postseason debut before exiting the game with his injury, having made 48 saves on 51 shot through 89 minutes and seven seconds.
Sullivan said after the game that DeSmith was still being evaluated for a lower-body injury. They're still awaiting further specifics, but Sullivan said that for Game 2. "the way it stands right now, Casey's out, but his status is day-to-day."
Tristan Jarry is on this road trip as he rehabs from his broken foot. I saw him in the press box, and he's walking without crutches or any sort of aid, and not wearing a boot or cast or anything on his foot. He's yet to be on the ice since his injury, and given that the Penguins aren't even scheduled to have a full practice on Wednesday, it seems unreasonable to expect Jarry to be available and game-ready by Thursday.
If DeSmith is indeed out for Game 2, the only goaltender able to be recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton who is both healthy and under an NHL contract is Alex D'Orio, a 23-year-old third-year pro who played 22 AHL games and 11 ECHL games this season, a season that was marred early on with various injuries and other ailments that had him in a tough spot.
If DeSmith is out, and Jarry's foot doesn't make a miraculous recovery within the next two days, it's Domingue's net moving forward.
It's an opportunity that Domingue has been waiting for throughout his journeyman professional career.
"You never know how things are going to unfold," Domingue said of his path. "But I wanted to be back in the NHL this year. I think I've put in the effort to get back. I've had a few opportunities here and there, and it's just a matter of taking it. Now I'm pretty happy to be where I am today. I'm lucky to be playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's a hell of a team. Yeah, I feel pretty lucky to be here."
