NEW YORK (AP) — Louis Domingue didn’t know what to think when he saw teammate and starting goalie Casey DeSmith skate to the bench midway through the second overtime period.
Domingue stepped in and made 17 saves, and Evgeni Malkin scored on a deflection 5:58 into the third overtime, giving the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
“I saw him go to the bench and I wasn’t sure why they blew the whistle,” Domingue said of DeSmith, who left with what the Penguins said was a lower-body injury. “I know both of the referees that were there, Jonny Murray and Frederick L’Ecuyer, both French guys. I honestly thought they were joking with me — they were saying I had to go in. After that, I just go out and played. It’s crazy, but I guess that’s my life. It’s hockey.”
On the winning goal, Malkin was positioned in front of the net when he tipped a long shot by John Marino over Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin.
New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) deflects a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during the second overtime of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
