Casey DeSmith must find a rhythm to keep the Pittsburgh Penguins in games.
Casey DeSmith has always been a mostly dependable backup goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He would have his highs and lows, but because of his backup status, the lows were spread out throughout the season.
As he steps into the starting spot for the Penguins, DeSmith needs to find the level of consistency that he exhibited late last season when Tristan Jarry went down with a foot injury.
DeSmith finished the 2021-22 season with a stretch of five straight starts, compiling three wins and saving 94% of the shots he faced.
So far, this stretch of starting has been riddled with inconsistent play. The defensive play in front of DeSmith hasn't always been the most steady presence either, but his struggles to end the game against the Vegas Golden Knights and to start the game against the Vancouver Canucks showed the worst versions of him.
DeSmith did show that he can return to his late-season form in Arizona, where he saved 23 of the Coyotes 24 shots en route to the 4-1 victory.
With Jarry placed on injured reserve, it appears the net will be DeSmith's for at least a handful of games. Can DeSmith reign in his sporadic performance and become what we saw of him late last season, or is the roller coaster just beginning?
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