Projected lineup: Goalie injuries force NY Rangers to turn to former foe Louis Domingue

TARRYTOWN - Louis Domingue arrived home in Hartford, Conn. on Wednesday and unpacked his bag, only to receive a call instructing him to turn back around.

With the Rangers dealing with multiple goalie injuries, the 31-year-old was summoned to make his first NHL start since May 13, 2022. And while it's an opportunity he's anxiously awaited, he's found that walking out the door is more difficult at this stage of his career.

"It's actually getting harder because I leave my kids behind," he said following Thursday's morning skate at the MSG Training Center. "It’s hard to spend time away from your family."

Domingue is being thrust into the Madison Square Garden spotlight for Thursday's 7 p.m. game against the Minnesota Wild out of necessity.

Blueshirts' No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin is set to miss his third straight game with lingering soreness, with backup Jonathan Quick joining him on the shelf after suffering an upper-body injury in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Head coach Peter Laviolette said both are "day-to-day," despite proclaiming Shesterkin "a full go" the day prior. The former Vezina Trophy winner practiced twice this week, but one person with knowledge of the situation told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the Rangers are opting for a cautious approach to avoid the risk of reaggravating his undisclosed injury.

It makes sense when you consider a quirk in the upcoming schedule. After Sunday's 7 p.m. home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York won't play again until a trip to New Jersey the following Saturday. That six-day break could provide valuable rest time for Shesterkin and Quick, as well as injured center Filip Chytil.

"I do think that comes at a good spot," Laviolette said. "When you see some of the personnel that's missing from the lineup, I think that break is a good thing. We can reassess and take a look at it at that point, but that doesn't necessarily mean that everybody’s out through that."

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That leaves Domingue to make at least one start, with 21-year-old goalie prospect Dylan Garand recalled to be his backup.

That duo has been steady for AHL Hartford through nine games this season, with Domingue posting a 3-1 record with a .934 save percentage, 1.75 goals against average and one shutout while Garand has gone 3-1-1 with a .914 SV% and 2.63 GAA.

"My game’s been good," said Domingue, who will become the first right-handed-catching goalie to play for the Rangers since Glen Hanlon in 1986. "Year after year, you try to build something to become the best version of yourself in net. I think I'm continuing to trend that way."

The St-Hyacinthe, Quebec native is no stranger to pressure-packed environments.

He's made 142 career NHL appearances, plus seven in the playoffs.

"It's nothing new because I've been doing it for a long time," he said. "It's never easy because when you're the third guy sometimes you have to step on somebody's toes to get the net. In this situation, it's two injuries, so it's just a matter of stepping in when someone's down and try to help the team as much as I can."

Domingue's last NHL action came, ironically, against the very team that's now relying on him.

He was the third-string goalie for the Penguins during the 2021-22 season, and when their top two went down during their memorable first-round series against the Rangers, he was suddenly the guy. He performed admirably considering the circumstances, winning three of his first four appearances to help Pittsburgh take a commanding series lead.

The fairytale ending didn't quite materialize, with the Blueshirts storming back to win it in seven games (Domingue didn't play in Game 7 due to the return of starter Tristan Jarry). But his steely resolve stuck with his former foes and new teammates.

"It was impressive, especially as a goalie when you get thrown into a situation like that and are able to deal with it," Mika Zibanejad said. "That’s why he’s at the highest level. That’s something everyone doesn’t have. It’s pretty cool to see."

Now Domingue will get another chance to show his mettle, with the most rewarding part the support he'll feel from back home.

"I'm pretty grateful that I can share it with my family," he said. "They won't be there because my kids are in school, but I know my son is going to be watching closely."

NY Rangers (9-2-1) projected lineup: Game 13 vs. Minnesota Wild (5-5-2)

When: Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.

Where: Madison Square Garden

TV/Radio: MSG Network/98.7 FM

Forwards

Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Blake Wheeler (RW)

Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)

Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Nick Bonino (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)

Fourth line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (C) ⋄ Tyler Pitlick (RW)

Defensemen

Top pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)

Second pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Erik Gustafsson (R)

Third pair ⊳ Zac Jones (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)

Goalies

Starter ⊳ Louis Domingue

Backup ⊳ Dylan Garand

Long-term injured reserve: D Adam Fox (lower body)

Injured reserve: F Filip Chytil (upper body)

Scratches: D Connor Mackey, G Igor Shesterkinand G Jonathan Quick

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Projected lineup: Injuries force Rangers to turn to Louis Domingue