Rangers goaltender Louis Domingue on crowd support: 'It felt amazing'
Louis Domingue #70 of the Rangers warms up before the game against the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 9, 2023. Credit: Getty Images
Toward the end of the Rangers’ 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night, the fans at Madison Square Garden chanted “Louie! Louie! Louie!’’ in appreciation for the effort put forth by goalie Louis Domingue, who stepped in after both Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick were unable to play because of injuries.
Domingue made 26 saves, 14 of them in a second period when the Rangers were outshot 15-3, and helped the Blueshirts extend their point streak to nine game (8-0-1).
“He was in place on everything,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said of Domingue, who was recalled from AHL Hartford Wednesday night. “I thought he played a heckuva game. I thought defensively we were really good in the first, and even in the third we were pretty good. But the goaltender still has to make saves.”
“He really stepped up in that second period, when I think they fired 30 attempts at our net, and they end up with 15 shots or whatever it is, and a lot of quality scoring chances. He made some big saves and ultimately he gave us a chance, at 1-1, to push into the third period and change the course of the game.’’
“It felt amazing,’’ Domingue said when asked about the experience in his first NHL game since he beat the Rangers as a Pittsburgh Penguin in Game 6 of the teams’ first-round playoff series in 2022. “Honestly, to get the support of the crowd like that was great . . . and the team played really well in the third to get a win. So it was just a matter of giving them a chance to grab the game and they did.’’
Blue notes
D Adam Fox and C Filip Chytil each missed their third game, with lower- and upper-body injuries, respectively. Fox is on long-term injured reserve and out a minimum of 10 games. Chytil is eligible to come off IR Friday, which would enable him to play Sunday, when the Rangers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has yet to skate, so that seems unlikely.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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