It's "Hockey Day in America," so why not a Yank in goal?
Casey DeSmith, the pride of Rochester, N.H., will get the start today as the Penguins, now on the outside of the eight-team Eastern Conference playoff field, host the Rangers at PPG Paints Arena.
"I think the reality has been set in," Mike Sullivan said Sunday of his team's plight after the sizzling Hurricanes -- 8-2-0 in their last 10 -- jumped into the final wildcard spot last night. "I think we're not going to look at the big picture right now. We're going to take each game as it comes and that's the approach we've always taken with this group. We stay in the moment. We control what we can to get the best results. That's all we can do."
The decision to go to DeSmith is hardly surprising as the Penguins will be playing the second game of a weekend back-to-back set. DeSmith appeared to give his team a lift after replacing Matt Murray for the start of the third period in Saturday afternoon's 5-4 loss to the Flames. The backup netminder stopped all seven shots he faced as the Penguins nearly overcame a three-goal deficit.
Sullivan hasn't been shy about using DeSmith in big situations. This will be the 27-year-old's first start since taking the loss in the Penguins' 5-4 loss to the NHL-leading Lightning at Tampa on Feb. 9. Murray had made the last three starts and had played well prior to Saturday's loss, including a career-best 50-save performance last Monday night against the Flyers in a 4-1 win in Philadelphia.
"I think he's done a pretty good job in terms of the games that Casey's been in," Sullivan said of DeSmith. "He's given us a chance to win."
As it turned out, Sullivan's decision to pull Murray on Saturday had nothing to do with saving him for today's game, which has suddenly taken on increased importance.
"There was a lot that went into it," Sullivan said when I asked of his rationale. "We talked about it in between periods. We felt like we needed a spark. We needed to generate some energy and sometimes that's the best way to do it."
Interestingly, though, Murray has the far superior numbers to DeSmith against the Rangers. Murray has dominated New York in his career, going 5-0-0, stopping 128 of 140 shots, for a .914 save percentage with a 2.36 goals-against average. Included in that record is a 28-save performance in the Penguins' 7-2 win at Madison Square Garden on Jan 2., the only previous meeting between Pittsburgh and New York this season.
DeSmith is 0-0-1 with an .879 save percentage and 3.82 GAA against Rangers. That lone start came last March 14 in a 4-3 overtime loss at the Garden.
• Patric Hornqvist is mired in a slump, going without a point in the last 11 games. However, Sullivan thought that Saturday's game might have been Hornqvist's best performance since coming back from a concussion on Jan. 19.
"When you look at Horny's overall game, he's at his best when he's in on the forecheck, going to the net, he's wreaking havoc with opponents with his physical play and his energy," he said. "That's the type of player that he is."
• Sullivan again sung the praises of Justin Schultz, who will play his second game after missing the previous 53 with a broken leg. He pointed to Schultz's scoring chance in the first period Saturday.
"He jumps in the holes in the right time to give himself opportunity," Sullivan said. "There was a chance early in the game, when he jumps in the slot. That's an indication of what he brings. His ability to see the hole and jump into it at the right time."
• Alexandar Georgiev will oppose DeSmith in goal for the Rangers. He gave up one goal on seven shots after replacing Henrik Lundqvist in the Jan. 2 game against the Penguins. Lundqvist is being saved to play against the Hurricanes on Tuesday.