Penguins fall to Red Wings despite stout effort from goaltender Casey DeSmith

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan went to bat for his backup goaltender.

And Casey DeSmith validated his coach’s support, even in defeat.

On Friday, DeSmith made 30 saves on 32 shots in regulation and overtime of a 3-2 home shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena.

The loss wasn’t appetizing. But it was fulfilling for DeSmith in that he completed the game.

He could not boast of any such accomplishment in his previous two starts as he was pulled on each occasion because of ineffective play.

Following DeSmith most recent setback a week earlier — allowing two goals on 12 shots, he was pulled after a period during a 5-2 road win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 21 — Sullivan planted blame in a very direct fashion.

On himself.

With DeSmith recently removed from the NHL’s protocols for covid-19 and reserve goaltender Louis Domingue hobbled by a right foot injury, Sullivan suggested he did not give DeSmith a sufficient opportunity to remove the rust in his game during practices before putting him back in the lineup.

“In his last start, I think I put him in a tough spot,” Sullivan said. “Coming out of the (NHL’s protocols for covid-19), he didn’t have very much practice. Of all the players that come out of the protocols and we insert back in the lineup, the goaltender might be the most difficult position for that. There’s just so many subtleties to that position that repetitions are required to stay on top of your game. I take a lot of responsibility there for putting Casey in a tough spot.”

DeSmith greatly appreciated his coach absorbing blame for his underwhelming play as of late.

“He talked to me after the Columbus game and just kind of explained that he put it on himself that he kind of put me in a tough spot,” DeSmith said. “Obviously, as an athlete, it’s not his fault. I know that. But yeah, it means a lot to know that he has my back.”

His teammates could have offered a bit more support Friday as they provided a spirited but inconsistent effort against an unremarkable opponent. It marked the second consecutive home loss beyond the bounds of regulation against a non-playoff threat in as many nights. On Thursday, the Penguins fell in overtime, 2-1, to the Seattle Kraken, a first-year expansion franchise.

“Obviously, the Seattle game wasn’t the best,” defenseman Mike Matheson said. “It’s the same result so it could be hard to feel good about it. Obviously, we’re not in the business for losing in shootouts. We’re here to win. At the same time, we need to know that was a better game and build off of it for (Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Kings).”

Regardless, the point they earned Friday pushed them into sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division with 61 points. The last time they claimed that real estate by themselves was Oct. 20 when they had whopping six points roughly a week into the season.

The Red Wings opened the scoring 18 minutes, 19 seconds into regulation.

After a hideous turnover by Matheson from behind his own net, Red Wings forward Joe Veleno accepted the charity in the right circle and immediately fired a wrister that was blocked by Matheson. Red Wings forward Sam Gagner claimed the rebound in the right dot and put another wrister on net that DeSmith denied his right leg.

On the ensuing scramble, Red Wings forward Givani Smith spun off a battle with Penguins defenseman John Marino at the top of the crease and tucked a forehand shot past DeSmith’s right skate for his third goal. Gagner and Veleno had assists. Matheson whacked his stick off the left post in frustration afterward.

Matheson made amends for his miscue in the second period by drawing a roughing penalty from Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen at the 4:43 mark. That led to a power-play goal by forward Jake Guentzel 71 seconds later.

Teeing up a one-timer from above the right circle, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby uncorked a shot at the cage. Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, positioned just to the right of crease, was stuck in the left skate by the shot and the rebound caromed to the slot where Guentzel cleaned it up by pushing a forehand shot past goaltender Calvin Pickard’s left leg for his 22nd goal.

Malkin and Crosby tallied assists.

DeSmith preserved the tie at the 6:43 mark by denying Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin on a partial breakaway. Larkin scored his way up the right wing into the offensive zone, got past Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin and attacked the net, only to have his forehand shot stuffed by DeSmith’s right toe.

The Red Wings reclaimed the lead, 2-1, with a power-play score at 5:54 of the second. Red Wings defenseman Nick Leddy pumped a one-timer from the center point of the offensive zone through traffic that glanced off Rasmussen and was denied by DeSmith’s left skate.

On the ensuing rebound, Red Wings forward Filip Zadina was able to sweep the rebound past the blocker of a scrambling DeSmith with a backhander for his fifth goal. Rasmussen and Leddy netted assists.

Guentzel scored at again only 27 seconds into the third period to forge another tie, 2-2. Hustling on a forecheck along the Red Wings’ end boards, Guentzel hounded Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek into a turnover that Crosby claimed near the left corner. As Guentzel alertly got into position in the slot, Crosby quickly found his linemate and fed a forehand pass that Guentzel converted into a forehand shot that beat Pickard’s blocker. Crosby tallied the lone assist.

DeSmith kept the score tied 38 seconds into overtime by robbing Larkin with a dazzling glove save on a fantastic opportunity off a two-on-one rush.

“I just tried to force the guy to make a pass and throw everything I could over there,” DeSmith said. “Sometimes, it goes in your glove and looks good.”

In the shootout, Red Wings rookie forward Lucas Raymond was the only one who made good on his attempt. Crosby, Guentzel and defenseman Kris Letang were all denied on their shots.

DeSmith’s play wasn’t the only thing that looked different. His gear did, too.

He sported new equipment with a white tone Friday after ditching an older set that was primarily yellow.

“I switched after the Columbus game,” DeSmith said. “I needed out of those pads. Just not very good ‘juju’ with those. I like the white. I think they look a little bit bigger. Just new pads in general make you feel bigger, too. Happy to be in them.”

The Penguins were certainly happy with what DeSmith offered them Friday, regardless of the result.

“That was probably huge for his confidence,” Matheson said. “He played amazing. He made so many nice saves. He’s a great goalie, and it was good to see him feeling it.”

Notes: The Penguins scratched defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Radim Zohorna. … Ex-Penguins goaltender Thomas Greiss was scratched by the Red Wings as he is still recovering from a bout with covid-19.