'Everything stays the same' for Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith in playoffs
Casey DeSmith’s memories of his last playoff game are a bit fuzzy.
Except for one detail.
Danton Heinen scored on him.
Twice.
On April 30, 2017, DeSmith made 24 saves on 26 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 2-1 home loss to the Providence Bruins in Game 5 of a first-round (best-of-five) series of the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup playoffs.
“ ‘Heino’ … thank goodness he’s on our team now,” the goaltender quipped in reference to his current teammate on the Pittsburgh Penguins. “I remember the frustration. … It was at home. No concrete memories. I know that ‘Heino’ scored, though, for sure.”
Nothing is for sure with regards to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ current goaltending situation. But it seems improbable that top goaltender Tristan Jarry will be available to open the team’s first-round playoff series with the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
Jarry suffered a right foot injury April 14 and has just begun the embryonic stages of his rehabilitation process.
That likely means DeSmith will be in net for Game 1 and will appear in his first career postseason game at the NHL level as well as his first at any level since that loss to Providence five years ago.
He professes to carry the same approach to Game 1 of the playoffs as he did for the 26 regular-season games he appeared in this campaign.
“I’ve had playoff experience in juniors,” said the 30-year-old DeSmith. “And obviously in college, played a bunch of big games, playoffs and tournaments, stuff like that. Played (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), playoff experience there. I’ve had playoff experience at every level (other than the NHL). But the bottom line is nothing really changes as far as (being a) goalie and the mindset. It’s really just another hockey game. Obviously, it means a little bit more. But as far as a mindset and approach, everything stays the same.”
DeSmith finished the regular season with respectable figures, including an 11-6-5 record, a 2.79 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and three shutouts.
But things were far from the same when comparing the first half of his season to the second half.
In his first 13 games, DeSmith largely struggled, going 5-3-2 with a 3.08 goals-against average, an .899 save percentage. And while he recorded two shutouts during that span, he was also pulled early from two starts for ineffective play.
The final 13 games? A 6-3-3 record, a 2.53 GAA, a .927 save percentage as well as one shutout.
And no incomplete starts.
“There was a lot of factors going on,” DeSmith said of his first half to the season. “I changed skates, and that was huge for me. Just getting out of those (older skates) was really big. Started working with a different mental coach. Changing the voice there, that was helpful. Started leaning on (goaltending coach Andy Chiodo) a little bit and getting in a little bit of a workflow with him.”
Those alterations have been noticed by his teammates.
“He works extremely hard,” forward Brian Boyle said. “If it’s practice, the game, he wants to stop the puck. He’s a competitor. He went through (difficulties) early in the year. He didn’t sulk. He was determined, and he’s played really, really good hockey.”
That has been the case the past two weeks in Jarry’s absence as DeSmith has played in five games, has a 3-2-0 record, a 2.24 GAA, a .940 save percentage and one shutout.
“I’ve gotten more playing time in the past couple of weeks than I have in a two-week stretch in a long time,” DeSmith said. “Definitely feeling comfortable in the net which is a welcome thing coming into the playoffs.”
It’s more than fair to question the Penguins’ goaltending entering the playoffs. That comes with the unique nature of the position, even under the best of circumstances, let alone when the starter is injured and the backup hasn’t played a postseason game in half a decade.
One thing that doesn’t appear to be in question is DeSmith’s approach to the task he’s about to inherit.
“Everything stays the same as far as mindset,” DeSmith said. “Just another hockey game. Just have to show up, play my game. As soon as any player goes into the playoffs and changes anything, I think that’s when problems probably start to happen. Just fall back on the game that I know how to play.”
Notes: Rookie forward Drew O’Connor was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. … The Penguins did not practice Saturday.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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