Maxime Lagace took the ice with the taxi squad at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, thinking it would be like any other day so far during his brief time with the Penguins. The goalie would work up a sweat then keep tabs on the NHL team from afar.
On his way home from PPG Paints Arena, Lagace received a text message.
Casey DeSmith would be unavailable for Sunday’s game against the Washington Capitals due to an illness unrelated to COVID-19. So Lagace was being recalled from the taxi squad on an emergency basis to back up starter Tristan Jarry.
“I went home, ate and left right away after,” he said Monday on a video call with the media. “So it was a quick turnaround. But I was obviously happy about it.”
Lagace would not be needed Sunday. Jarry made 28 saves in a 6-3 victory.
A day later, DeSmith needed to take another sick day, giving Lagace a chance to get between the pipes for his first full-squad practice since training camp.
“The timing is a little off, but obviously we’ve been practicing with the taxi squad,” he said. “After one practice, I already felt pretty good at the end here.”
The 28-year-old has spent the last two years waiting to play another NHL game. He made 17 appearances for the Vegas Golden Knights from 2017-19, posting a 6-8-1 record with a 3.92 goals-against average. His last game was Feb. 1, 2019.
Last season, Lagace helped Providence, the American Hockey League affiliate for Boston, to the AHL’s second-best record. He went 22-7-3 with a 2.37 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and five shutouts, all AHL career highs.
“I feel like I’ve taken huge steps since the time in Vegas,” he said. “At that time, I learned a lot about myself and after that it was kind of a regroup, learn from the experience. What could I do to make myself more successful? I think last year was a step in that direction but there’s still a million things [to work on].”
The Penguins signed Lagace in the offseason to be their third goalie behind Jarry and DeSmith. So far, he has stayed in Pittsburgh as a member of the taxi squad. He plans to keep working hard so he will be ready if the Penguins need him.
“I just work on little things that I think will take my game to another level,” he said. “We have a great staff here to make that happen. So I’m just trying to take in all the information and everything they teach me and run with it. It’s been fun. It’s a great experience. And obviously I can’t wait for the next opportunity.”
New bosses in town
New general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke were in attendance for Sunday’s win at PPG Paints Arena and watched Monday’s practice from their perch at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Both men listened intently as Mike Sullivan chatted with his players at the end of practice.
On Monday, Kris Letang was asked if the players feel a greater sense of urgency with two new bosses in the building, replacing former GM Jim Rutherford.
“You have to continue to work hard, try to do your best on the ice. That’s the only thing you can control,” he said. “But at the same time I understand that when there’s new management you want to prove yourself and you want to make sure they like what you bring because it’s a special organization. You want to stay here.”
The All-Star added: “So at the end of the day, yes, I think it puts a little more pressure on the players. And I think it’s a good thing. You want to perform well.”
Pettersson nears return
Marcus Pettersson on Monday practiced again without contact restrictions as he inches closer to a return to the lineup. He partnered with Cody Ceci on the third defensive pair, a sign he could be available Tuesday against the Capitals.
The blue-liner has not played since suffering an upper-body injury against the Capitals on Jan. 19. He has now participated in three practices over the past week.
Sullivan said the statuses for Brian Dumoulin, Juuso Riikola and Evan Rodrigues remain unchanged. All three are on injured reserve and haven’t been skating.
Penguins lead TV ratings
The Penguins led all U.S.-based NHL teams in local TV ratings during the first month of the season, according to figures published on Monday by the Sports Business Journal. Those numbers represent a 50% increase over last season.
“We have the greatest fans in hockey. … We salute them for this amazing support during a challenging time,” James Santilli, the organization’s Chief Experience Officer, said in a statement, adding, “We also want to thank our friends at AT&T SportsNet for their outstanding work in broadcasting our games.”
Matt Vensel: mvensel@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mattvensel.
First Published: February 15, 2021, 7:53 p.m.
