Penguins win Game 1 on Evgeni Malkin goal in 3rd OT with 3rd-string goalie in net

NEW YORK — Prior to Tuesday, there had not been a playoff game in Madison Square Garden for nearly five years.

On Tuesday, the Penguins and New York Rangers staged a contest that felt like it took roughly half a decade to complete.

A goal by forward Evgeni Malkin at 5:58 of the third overtime period provided the Penguins with a fiercely combated 4-3 win in Game 1 of their first-round postseason series.

It was the fifth-longest game in the franchise’s postseason history and, in the process, the Penguins set a franchise mark with 83 shots, five short of the NHL record.

The victory extracted a heavy toll, however, as the Penguins played most of the contest without the services of top-six forward Rickard Rakell, who appeared to suffer a potential head injury after being struck by a violent hit from Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren at 18:41 of the first period.

Skating up the right wing to the offensive blue line, Rakell dumped the puck into the Rangers’ zone and was struck in the head by Lindgren’s right arm. Penguins athletic trainer Chris Stewart raced out to attend to Rakell who fell to the ice after trying to recover to his skates. Rakell eventually made his way to the dressing room but required assistance from teammates Sidney Crosby and Mike Matheson.

Officials initially assessed a major penalty to Lindgren but downgraded it to a minor following a video review.

Compounding matters, Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith — starting in place of injured All-Star Tristan Jarry — left the contest at 9:18 of the second overtime, hobbling off the ice. He was replaced by reserve goaltender Louis Domingue.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan did not provide a substantive update on either Rakell or DeSmith but did label DeSmith as “day to day.”

DeSmith, in his first career playoff game, made 48 saves on 51 shots. Domingue, in his second career postseason game, recorded the win after stopping 17 shots.

“It was a lot coming at me fast,” Domingue said. “But it’s something that you prepare for as a backup. You’ve got to be ready at all times.”

The Rangers were ready at the onset of this contest and claimed the first lead 9:19 into regulation with a power-play score.

Off the left half wall of the offensive zone, Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad fed a pass to the left point for defenseman Adam Fox. Maneuvering his way toward the high slot, Fox chucked a wrister past a screen by Rangers forward Ryan Strome and over DeSmith’s blocker. Zibanejad and forward Chris Kreider claimed assists.

It became a 2-0 game at 3:08 of the second period. After a failed clearing attempt by Crosby from behind his own cage, the Rangers began to cycle in the offensive zone. Eventually, Strome controlled the puck on the end boards and slipped a pass to the left circle for on-rushing Rangers forward Andrew Copp who swiped a one-timer by DeSmith’s glove on the far side. Strome and defenseman Jacob Trouba tallied assists.

Penguins forward Jake Guentzel got his team on the scoreboard only 84 seconds later. Corralling a loose puck on the left half wall of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Bryan Rust circled to left point and fed a seam pass to Crosby low in the right circle. Settling the puck for a moment, Crosby fed a pass to the front of the crease for Guentzel who one-touched a forehand shot under goaltender Igor Shesterkin’s right leg. Crosby and Rust registered assists.

Another goal by Guentzel tied the contest, 2-2, at 11:47 of the second. Gaining the offensive zone on the left wing, Crosby crossed the slot and fed a backhand pass to Guentzel streaking up the right wing. Attacking the cage, Guentzel flipped a forehand shot past Shesterkin’s blocker on the far side. Crosby and linemate Bryan Rust had assists.

A short-handed goal by Kreider restored a lead for the Rangers, 3-2, at the 17:07 mark of the second. After Crosby won a draw in the Rangers’ left circle, Zibanejad simply took the puck before any of Crosby’s teammates could claim it. Skating by passive resistance from Malkin, Zibanejad gained the offensive zone on the right wing and centered a pass to the slot for a surging Kreider who tucked a slick backhander past DeSmith’s right skate. The only assist went to Zibenajad.

The Penguins responded with a five-on-three power-play goal only 97 seconds later. From above the Rangers’ right circle, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang slid a pass low to the right of the cage for Malkin who one-touched a forehand pass across the crease for Rust who tapped in his first goal in nine games. Malkin and Letang logged assists.

A potential game-winning goal by Rangers forward Filip Chytil late in regulation at 16:50 of the third period was nullified after the Penguins issued a successful coach’s challenge, claiming goaltender interference on the sequence by Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko.

Video coaches Andy Saucier and Madison Nikkel — who were perfect during the regular season on all seven coach’s challenges they suggested to the bench — were lauded by Sullivan after the game.

“(Saucier and Nikkel), they’ve got such a keen eye and they understand the criteria that we’re trying to utilize as a coaching staff,” Sullivan said. “I just can’t say enough about how good those guys are at their job. They’re just tremendous.”

Even Rangers coach Gerard Gallant suggested it was the correct ruling.

“To me, it was a 50/50 call and I sort of felt it was going to go against us,” Gallant said. “I can’t argue against that.”

In overtime — the third overtime to be specific — Malkin won the game at roughly 11 minutes before midnight.

After Penguins forward Brock McGinn helped hound Chytil into a turnover on the Rangers’ end boards, Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen claimed possession and, from the right half wall, he slipped a pass to the right point for Penguins defenseman John Marino.

Backpedaling to the high slot, Marino gripped and ripped a wrister toward the cage. Positioned above the crease, Malkin re-directed the puck with the shaft of his stick past Shersterkin’s glove. Marino and Kapanen claimed assists.

“The whole team (feels) good right now,” Malkin said. “We played (a) physical, hard game. We give credit to New York. They played unbelievable too. We know it’s not easy tonight.”

Game 2 — also at Madison Square Garden — is scheduled for Thursday. It’s premature to know what the Penguins’ options in net will be for that game. Or if Rakell will be able-bodied by that juncture.

They’re just happy to be have a lead after one of the most spellbinding games in franchise history.

“That one was pretty fun,” Rust said. “Especially because we got the win there. There was a lot of things going on in between trying to make a comeback, three overtimes and Louis goes in the net. It was fun.”

Notes:

• The Penguins snapped a five-game losing streak in playoff overtime contests. Before Tuesday, their last postseason overtime win was a 3-2 home victory against the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference final on May 25, 2017. Forward Chris Kunitz scored in the second overtime period of that contest.

• The Penguins’ previous franchise mark for shots in a postseason game was the 72 they put up in a 3-2 road win against the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series on April 24, 1996. Forward Petr Nedved scored the winning goal in the fourth overtime of that contest.

• The NHL record for shots in a playoff game is 88 by the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 3-2 win in Game 1 of a first-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets that lasted five overtime periods on Aug. 11, 2020. Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 85 saves in that loss.

Note: The NHL did not start to track shots on net until the 1955-56 season.

• Domingue became the first goaltender in NHL history to enter a game in the second overtime period or later.

• Domingue became the fourth “silly-sider” (i.e. right-catching goaltender) to win a playoff game for the Penguins. His predecessors are Tom Barrasso (56 wins), Tomas Vokoun (six), Les Binkley (five) and Greg Millen (four).

• Domingue’s only previous postseason experience came in the form of 18:25 of mop-up duty for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 4-2 home loss to the Capitals in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on May 11, 2018.

• Malkin’s goal was the second postseason overtime score of his career. The first came in a 4-3 overtime road win against the Capitals in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series on May 9, 2009.

• Rust led all scorers in this game with three points (one goal, two assists). He ended the regular season with a nine-game pointless skid.

• Lindgren did not record a shift after the 16:50 mark of the second overtime. He appeared to be shaken up on a hit by Kapanen. Gallant did not provide an update on Lindgren’s status following the game.

• The last postseason game in Madison Square Garden was a 4-2 win by the Senators against the Rangers in Game 6 of a second round series on May 9, 2017.