Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue thought the referees were joking when he was told to enter Tuesday’s game against the New York Rangers midway through the second overtime.
In fact, the backup goalie had eaten a meal not long beforehand.
“Spicy pork and broccoli,” he said. “It’s not great. … I needed something in my belly.”
That probably fueled him because he made 17 saves in relief of injured starter Casey DeSmith (48 saves) and Pittsburgh got the win when Evgeni Malkin scored at 5:58 of the third overtime for a 4-3 victory. It was the first playoff win of his career and just his second appearance.
“It’s crazy, but I guess that’s my life, and that’s hockey,” Domingue said.
He had played only four NHL games over the last three seasons and is up with the Penguins because of an injury to No. 1 goalie Tristan Jarry.
Domingue began the game on the bench and moved under the stands because it was crowded. But he said he was ready, even with being unable to warm up.
“It was a lot coming at me fast but it’s something you prepare for as a backup,” he said. “You’ve got to be ready at all times. The guys played super well for me the time I was in there, and I think Casey put us in a position to get to overtime.”
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The first period of…
