Penguins, goaltender Casey DeSmith hold off Red Wings in preseason win
Goaltender Casey DeSmith made 37 saves on 39 shots to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 road win against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday at Little Caesars Arena.
The Penguins opened the scoring 12 minutes, 30 seconds into regulation with a power-play goal by forward Bryan Rust, a native of Pontiac, Mich.
From his own blue line, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby snapped a stretch pass to the opposite blue line for Rust, who surged into the Red Wings’ zone. Surging past Red Wings defensemen Olli Maatta and Filip Hronek, Rust attacked the cage and toasted goaltender Ville Husso’s glove with a wrister for his second goal of the preseason. Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang had assists.
It became a 2-0 contest when forward Josh Archibald collected his first goal at 4:52 of the second period.
Corralling a rimmed puck on the Red Wings’ end boards, Penguins forward Brock McGinn tried to shield it from Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin but lost possession. The puck slid to the right circle, where Archibald jumped on it and lifted a quick wrister that clunked off the near post and then deflected off Husso’s left elbow before caroming into the cage. McGinn and forward Sam Poulin netted assists.
Another power-play goal at 18:01 of the middle frame put the Penguins up by a field goal. From above the right circle of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Danton Heinen pumped a wrister towards the net. Positioned just to the right of the cage, Penguins forward Jason Zucker deflected the puck with the shaft of his stick past Husso’s left shoulder on the near side for his second goal. Assists went to Heinen and defenseman Jeff Petry.
The Red Wings broke up the shutout bid 2:59 into the third period. After gaining the offensive zone on the right wing, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider chucked a wrister towards the cage that was deflected slightly by Red Wings forward Jonathan Berggren. DeSmith kicked out the puck with his right skate but allowed a rebound that slid below the left circle, where Red Wings forward Dominik Kubalik tracked it and swept in for an easy forehand goal, his third of the preseason. Berggren and Seider claimed assists.
Larkin pulled the Red Wings within a goal at 17:20 of the third period. Corralling a puck behind the Penguins’ net, Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi swept a backhand pass between Penguins defensemen Jan Rutta and Ty Smith to the right circle, where Larkin fired a wrister past DeSmith’s right shoulder on the far side for his second goal. Bertuzzi and forward Filip Zadina had assists.
Notes: With forward Radim Zohorna claimed by the Flames through waivers earlier in the afternoon, the Penguins inserted Poulin into the lineup. Poulin had been excused from training camp Friday for a handful of days to attend to a personal matter. … The Penguins are scheduled to conclude the preseason with a home game against the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena on Friday.
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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