- There’s no update yet on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, as head coach Mike Sullivan only confirmed that his captain is dealing with an upper-body injury and will be evaluated further on their return home. Crosby took a hit from Jacob Trouba in last night’s game that kept him out, and obviously has a long history with head injuries. The Penguins stayed in New York after last night’s loss and will fly to Pittsburgh today to prepare for tomorrow’s game six.
Penguins Rumors
Tristan Jarry Resumes Skating
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry took a big step forward in his progress in recovering from a broken bone in his foot as he skated for the first time on Saturday, reports Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The netminder has been out for the last three weeks due to the injury which resulted in Casey DeSmith getting the nod to start the playoffs. However, he underwent core muscle surgery yesterday which brought his postseason to a premature end, meaning that veteran journeyman Louis Domingue is now Pittsburgh’s starter for the time being. With Jarry just skating today, he’ll still likely miss a few more games but if they’re able to push their series against New York close to the max, Jarry may be able to return at that point.
Casey DeSmith Undergoes Surgery
Louis Domingue, come on down. The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that Casey DeSmith will miss the rest of the playoffs following core muscle surgery this morning. With Tristan Jarry still out with his own injury, the Penguins crease belongs to Domingue for the time being.
It’s a brutal outcome for DeSmith, who had played brilliantly in his playoff debut before being removed partway through the second overtime period of game one. His season will end having stopped 48 of 51 shots to that point, and leave the Penguins desperately short on NHL-level goaltenders.
Jarry, who has yet to even return to the ice following his late-season injury, is the only other goaltender in the organization that even has NHL experience. Alex D’Orio, the current backup, has just 34 appearances above the ECHL level and posted an .894 save percentage for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season. Filip Lindberg, the other goaltender signed to an NHL deal, hasn’t played since November because of his own injury and has just seven professional appearances.
Incredibly, that leaves Domingue as the only option the team has despite playing in just two NHL games during the regular season. After his outstanding performance to close out game one, the New York Rangers managed to slip five past him last night to even the series. It now becomes a huge ask of a career backup to step into the spotlight and carry the team through the first round.
For DeSmith, it’s more than just missing the playoffs. As a pending unrestricted free agent, this was going to be an opportunity to showcase his skills as a potential starter–or at least a tandem starter–and secure a raise on the open market. He had played well during the regular season, posting a .914 save percentage in 26 appearances, and looked to have the net all to himself until Jarry returns down the road. Now he enters the open market with an uncertain future, coming off a surgery that often has lingering effects on performance even after being medically cleared to play.
The Penguins are back in action tomorrow night.
Ryan Lindgren, Brian Dumoulin Out For Game 2
Both the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers will be missing a top-four defenseman for tonight’s Game 2. Brian Dumoulin is out for the Penguins, while Ryan Lindgren is out for the Rangers.
Dumoulin nearly hit 50 shifts in Game 1’s triple-overtime win, logging 36:35 of ice time, two shots, one hit, and one blocked shot. Making a name for himself as the longtime defense partner to Kris Letang, it’s likely Mike Matheson will slot in Dumoulin’s place on the top pair. Both Mark Friedman and Nathan Beaulieu took warmups for the Penguins, and one of them is expected to draw into the lineup.
Lindgren was banged up in the last game and was called a game-time decision with a lower-body injury this morning. He serves a very similar role as Dumoulin does in Pittsburgh, serving as the more defensively-inclined partner to Adam Fox. He didn’t quite hit 30 minutes of ice time in Game 1, struggling with the injury during the game. Justin Braun is drawing into the lineup, but it’s unclear how the pairs will look.
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Barclay Goodrow is also missing for the Rangers.
Jason Zucker Likely Playing In Game 2
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jason Zucker has struggled with injuries all season long, as the 30-year-old was limited to just 41 games during the regular season. Despite that, it looks like Zucker will be healthy enough to slot into the Penguins’ lineup for Game 2 tonight against the New York Rangers, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mike DeFabo. Zucker could replace Rickard Rakell in the lineup, who was injured in Game 1’s triple-overtime win.
Game 2 will be a tougher outing for the Penguins, as NHL journeyman Louis Domingue, third on the team’s goalie depth chart, looks to start his first career playoff game. Zucker last played on April 26 before leaving that game with a lower-body injury. If Zucker can’t play, it’s likely youngster Drew O’Connor will make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.
Pittsburgh Penguins Activate Nathan Beaulieu
The Pittsburgh Penguins don’t have Rickard Rakell for tonight’s matchup, but their other trade deadline acquisition is finally available. The team has activated Nathan Beaulieu off injured reserve and could potentially make his Penguins debut this evening.
After an exhausting triple overtime game one, the Penguins could get some fresh legs in the form of Beaulieu, who hasn’t played since March 4 when he was still with the Winnipeg Jets. The 29-year-old defenseman was acquired for nothing more than a conditional seventh-round pick at the deadline given the uncertainty that surrounded his injury at the time.
The conditions of that pick would have Winnipeg receive the seventh-round selection only if the Penguins win three rounds and Beaulieu plays in 50 percent of the games. That’s still certainly a tall task at this point, and means there’s no risk in putting Beaulieu into the lineup whenever he’s ready.
Of course, whether he can actually help is still up for debate. The left-shot defenseman was averaging fewer than 11 minutes over his 24 games with Winnipeg this season before the trade, and hasn’t played more than 40 games in a single season since 2018-19. Never much more than a third-pairing option, he can’t represent much more than that for the Penguins either.
Still, defensive depth is certainly important for the playoffs, and Penguins fans should know that as well as anyone. During the 2017 Stanley Cup run they dressed eight different defensemen–none of which were named Kris Letang–and iced a sort of mismatched group of journeymen and depth players. No one that year averaged even 22 minutes a night. You never know what will come about in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and having experienced options to insert into the lineup is never a bad thing.
DeSmith, Rakell Not Expected To Play Game Two
It’s Louis Domingue time now. The Pittsburgh Penguins are not expected to have Casey DeSmith or Rickard Rakell in the lineup tonight against the New York Rangers, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Domingue is expected to get the start with minor league netminder Alex D’Orio serving as the backup.
While the broadcast originally speculated that DeSmith had exited game one in overtime due to a cramping issue, reports have surfaced since that that was not the case. Seravalli lists it as a groin injury for the Penguins netminder, who was already the second-string option with Tristan Jarry rehabbing a broken foot. Pittsburgh is now down to Domingue and D’Orio as the only healthy goaltenders in the organization (at least ones signed to NHL contracts).
Of course, Domingue does have a lot of experience at the NHL level. The 30-year-old has appeared in 142 regular season games and holds a .905 career save percentage. Amazingly his two postseason appearances have both been in relief, and both resulted in him stopping every puck he faced. A career 1.000 playoff save percentage will be in jeopardy when he takes the net this evening, trying to put the Penguins way out in front of the series.
Rakell’s absence meanwhile is a disappointing one, after he found such a nice fit down the stretch. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks, Rakell had 13 points in 19 games in the regular season. He lasted just four shifts before a hit from Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren caused him to leave with what appeared to be a concussion. He has been listed as day-to-day along with DeSmith.
Casey DeSmith, Rickard Rakell Listed As Day-To-Day
The Pittsburgh Penguins have listed both Casey DeSmith and Rickard Rakell as day-to-day following their exits from last night’s marathon game one, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic. The team has recalled Alex D’Orio from the minor leagues, giving them another healthy goaltender while Tristan Jarry continues to rehab his own injury.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Raivis Ansons
It’s been a very complicated few days for Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Raivis Ansons. On Friday, he was handed a one-game suspension for a high stick, meaning he missed the last game of the regular season in his final year of QMJHL hockey. Today, he was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins. He will remain with the Saint John Seadogs through their QMJHL playoff and Memorial Cup run.
Ansons, 20, has been great for the Sea Dogs after a midseason trade brought him over from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. The Latvian winger had 12 goals and 36 points in 37 games down the stretch, adding his usual level of physicality to every puck battle. Ansons isn’t a brilliant offensive piece, but his size, strength and skating make him an interesting NHL prospect all the same, even if it will be a limited ceiling for the young forward.
An entry-level contract was the next step toward that ultimate goal, though there is still plenty of work to be done. Selected 149th overall in 2020, he’ll be eligible for the AHL next season, where he’ll try to test himself with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. While his game may translate quickly, the grind and improved defense of that level will be a good indicator of whether he has enough upside to carve out a bottom-six role with Pittsburgh in the future.
For now, the Sea Dogs are not only trying to win a QMJHL championship, but as the host city, they’ll also get an automatic bid to the Memorial Cup. Those high-pressure matchups will certainly be a strong opportunity for growth, as he continues on an encouraging development path.
Jarry, Zucker Listed As Day-To-Day, Will Miss First Two Games Against New York Rangers
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced, per Head Coach Mike Sullivan, that forward Jason Zucker and goaltender Tristan Jarry have been updated as day-to-day, though they are not expected to play in at least the next couple of games (link). Having the two players come back into the lineup would be a major step for Pittsburgh, with Zucker increasing their forward and scoring depth, a crucial key to playoff success, and Jarry of course being their number one goaltender. Though it appears neither will be able to go for the Penguins in Game 1 or 2 in New York against the Rangers, they could look to Game 3 at home on Saturday night as a return for the pair.
Zucker has dealt with his share of injuries this season, ultimately playing in just 41 of the Penguins 82 games this season, recording 17 points in the process. The veteran forward had been playing down the stretch for Pittsburgh, but was injured early in Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and has not played since. Jarry had been having a stellar season in net for the Penguins, posting a 2.42 goals-against average and .919 save-percentage, however he was declared week-to-week on April 16th after last playing April 14th against the New York Islanders, a game in which he did play the full 60 minutes.