The legend of Louis Domingue is building in Pittsburgh!

The legend of Louis Domingue is building in Pittsburgh.

The journeyman goaltender was on hand as backup to Casey DeSmith for the Pittsburgh Penguins during last week's postseason opener against the New York Rangers that would eventually require three overtime periods to settle the final score. However, Domingue was suddenly called into action in the second overtime period after DeSmith was forced to leave the game with an injury. 

Of course, Domingue turned plenty of heads when he noted that he'd just finished a meal of spicy pork and broccoli before being unexpectedly called upon to replace DeSmith, who is out for the remainder of the playoffs after undergoing core muscle surgery. 

And needless to say, he's enjoying every minute of it. 

“For the first time in the last (eight) years I’ve been in the league — in and out of the league actually — it’s the first time I’m a rookie again,” the 30-year-old Domingue said. “I’m a rookie at the playoffs. I’ve actually never (started in) the NHL playoffs. Every moment, every day is a new … experience. I’m taking it one day at a time, one moment at a time.

“The crowd really kept me in this game (Saturday). Coming into the third (period) and having to kill two penalties like that and having to make a couple saves, they gave me confidence, definitely.”

With a 2.02 goals against average and stellar .952 save percentage, Domingue has gone from third string backup to unsung hero for the Penguins, who can take a 3-1 series advantage over the Rangers tonight with a victory. 

“From the moment I brought my net outside in the street and put my roller blades on and played outside and had cars go around my net, this was the film I was playing in my head the whole time,” Domingue said of his youth. “Even if it’s new to me, this is a film I’ve been playing in my head for a long time.”