NEW YORK AND PURCHASE, N.Y. – In a sea of 18,000 people, nerves were at an all-time high inside Madison Square Garden on May 3.

The World's Most Famous Arena played host to Game 1 of the best-of-seven series between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. It was the first playoff game in MSG in five years, featuring a matchup of two teams starving for recent postseason success. The Metropolitan Division rivals, finishing second and third in the regular season division standings, had met four times in the regular season. The Rangers seemingly had the Penguins' number with three straight wins, outscoring Pittsburgh 11-4 in the regular season meetings.

Still, the playoffs are an entirely different animal, something the sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd could attest to firsthand. After a five-goal second period tied the game at 3-3 entering the final 20 minutes of regulation, the arena erupted for every shot, check and save as the two teams battled to try and find the winning score.

As it turned out, regulation would not be enough to determine a winner. Nor would a first or second overtime. Almost five hours after the opening puck drop, Evgeni Malkin deflected the game-winning goal past Rangers' netminder Igor Shesterkin to give the Penguins the win in triple overtime and take a 1-0 advantage in the series.

It was the longest opening game of an NHL playoff series since 1939. The fans may have felt sitting on the edge of their seats for a three-overtime affair shaved some years off their lives, but while those injuries were metaphorical, the effects of a grueling affair on the players on the ice was clear. After making 51 saves over 89 minutes of play, Pittsburgh starting goaltender Casey DeSmith left the game midway through the second overtime due to injury. Pittsburgh turned to backup netminder Louis Domingue to take over between the pipes, but the Penguins' personnel began to scramble. With Domingue the only healthy goalie remaining on Pittsburgh's active roster entering a game that had no end in sight, what would happen if he too went down with injury? Calls and text messages were sent throughout the arena before finally reaching a cell phone up in the press box.

The phone belonged to Reid Robertson (Plano, Texas/Plano West).
 

Robertson was at Madison Square Garden not only as a spectator that night, but with the additional tag of Emergency Backup Goalie. The EBUG, as the position is referred to in shorthand, is mostly a formality; the home team for an NHL game is required to have a backup goaltender ready on standby in the arena in the event of an emergency situation that results in either team being out of healthy puck stoppers. It's a rarity for an EBUG to come close to the ice; in NHL history, only five emergency goalies have stepped on the rink and recorded playing time. But with the Penguins down to their final healthy option in the net, Robertson got the word that his services would be needed downstairs.

"We're just up there in business casual, up there in the press box with all the media and I get a text that says, 'Hey, you might need to go down,'" Robertson recalled. Minutes later, he was being escorted to ride the elevator down from the media lounge to the Madison Square Garden dressing rooms.

The graduating senior knew his way around a hockey locker room. Robertson had been on the Manhattanville College men's hockey team for four seasons and had just concluded the most work-load heavy campaign of his collegiate career. Robertson played in 11 games for the Valiants in the 2021-22 season, sporting a 3.55 goals-against averaged and make 308 saves. But the bright lights and pressure of professional playoff overtime hockey is a far cry from anything that Robertson had faced at the Playland Ice Casino.

"I almost blacked out," Robertson said of his experience. He waited in an equipment room, donning his pads and Pittsburgh Penguins jersey while watching the broadcast on a tiny television and hearing the roars of the raucous crowd reverberate through the walls. "I honestly didn't even know what to think. I wasn't as nervous going down there, but once I started getting my gear on and watching the game, I was more nervous than I had ever been in my entire life."

While fully dressed and ready to go, Robertson ultimately did not get the chance to follow in the footsteps of EBUG legends like David Ayres that came before him. Domingue remained in net the rest of the way for Pittsburgh, making 17 saves to keep the Rangers off the board before Malkin tipped in the game-winner. Yet, just finding himself in such an opportunity was a dream come true for the Plano, Texas native.

It takes a special breed to be a goalie. To block pucks rocketed towards you with your body is not something many would willingly sing up for. But for Robertson, a hockey-loving Texan who grew up watching the likes of Marty Turco and Kari Lehtonen stop pucks for the Dallas Stars in their decked-out helmets and pads, there was plenty of appeal to man the pipes.

"I've always been interested in the pads and the helmets and being able to design your own stuff," Robertson said. "I think it's fun kind of playing around with all that, and it's always been fun being in there stopping people from scoring. I got in there when I was younger and just learning how to play hockey. One time we didn't have a goalie one year and they asked me if I wanted to try. I got in there, loved it and never looked back."
 

The journey of Robertson being tabbed as the EBUG for the playoffs stemmed from a call made by the New York Rangers' organization to Manhattanville Head Coach David Turco. "The way the whole thing got set up was the Rangers called Coach Turco and said they need a practice goalie for the end of the year and asked if I would like that opportunity," Robertson recalled. "And I was like, yeah, of course. I had been skating with the Rangers for a good month or so. The guys that are hurt and the scratches, the guys that don't make the lineup every night, skate while the team is on the road."



Robertson got some work in with the Rangers scratches as the regular season came to a close while also getting some reps in with players from the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate. As focus shifted towards the postseason, the Rangers made another call to Robertson, this time to ask if he would like to serve as the EBUG for the opening game of the series against the Penguins.

"Before the first playoff game, they told me 'We need an EBUG tonight, our main one can't go,' and I responded that I'd love to."

Prior to the end of regulation and DeSmith leaving the ice, Robertson and teammate Alex Rowella (Ridgefield, Conn./Holy Cross (H.S.)) were enjoying the game as every other spectator in the building, with the added perk of taking in the contest from the press box.

"Rowie and I go to the concession stand, we're eating chicken fingers and fries, just hanging out and watching the game," Robertson said. "Then it goes to overtime and DeSmith goes off the ice. None of us thought that it would ever happen, especially in a playoff game and overtime like that, but sure enough."

Fresh off the heels of the victory, Pittsburgh immediately got to work prepping for the next game. With DeSmith still sidelined with injury ahead of the next morning's skate, Robertson received a call on his way back to campus from Madison Square Garden.

"After the game, I talked to some of the Rangers that I had been previously skating and working with, thanking some of the guys that had come down to calm me down while I was waiting in the room," Robertson said. "But I left pretty much right away with Rowie afterwards. I get a phone call on my way back and it's from one of the Penguins' hockey operations. He said 'We need a goalie tomorrow, can you come practice at MSG?' I said of course."

After clearing the skate with the Rangers, Robertson was on the fabled ice of Madison Square Garden the next day. He donned the yellow and white Penguins practice sweater, while on his head rested his red and black college helmet emblazoned with the Valiant, the Statue of Liberty, and the appropriately-named Reid Castle of the Manhattanville College campus painted on the side. Robertson said he was greeted by all the Penguins players and staffers, thanking him for his time and help. While getting settled in, Robertson was greeted by one of the Penguins' skaters—two-time league MVP Sidney Crosby.

"I get right on the ice and he comes right up to me and says, 'Hey, I'm Sid,'" Robertson said. "I joked back, 'Yeah, I know who you are'. All the coaches were telling me about how good of a leader his is, and obviously you hear so much about how he's a great captain and everything, but I don't have enough good things to say about him. He just made me and everyone feel welcome, and he's probably one of the better guys in the NHL and one of the best leaders in the league. One of the best players in the world, too."
 

Amongst the other Penguins that Robertson got to talk with was Domingue, the last man standing between Robertson and taking to the ice in an NHL contest.

"He was the nicest guy," Roberston said of Domingue. "I told him, 'Thanks for staying in there, man. I did not want to be part of that.' He was telling me that its actually a lot easier than you would think, playoff hockey and overtime. It's extremely defensive play and guys don't want to take any risks out there. But that's easier said than done coming from an NHL goalie."

Domingue went on to start the next five games of the series in net for the Penguins before Tristan Jarry took over for Game 7, which saw the Rangers win 4-3 in overtime to win the series and advance to the second round to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. While the entertaining first round did not have any further goaltender close calls beyond the opener, Robertson said the series probably would have come to an earlier end if he had ended up on the ice.

"I don't know how well I would have done out there, so it might have been a good thing for the Rangers if I was in there for the Penguins," Robertson joked. "They would have gotten a quick one in on me."

In the midst of the whirlwind of this experience, Robertson earned his degree in business management this past weekend. As for what comes next for the member of the latest graduating class of Manhattanville College, Robertson says that's still in the air.

"This has been the craziest dream. I'm obviously just living out the dream now," Robertson said. "I've made so many connections with the Rangers and Penguins organizations, with the players and the front offices. I've talked a little bit with the Rangers about being the EBUG and staying up here next year, but I'm not really sure what I want to do."

A two-sport athlete during his time at Manhattanville, Robertson also excelled as a member of the men's golf team. Robertson was the 2019-20 Skyline Conference Golfer of the Year, helping lead the Valiants to lifting the 2019 Skyline Conference Championship.

"I always wanted to try and play professional golf and throughout this whole year that was kind of the plan—to go back to Dallas and play pro golf and give that a shot. But the opportunity that the Rangers are offering me is going to be extremely hard to say no to."

While the future may be hazy and uncertain for the time being, Robertson says this past week has cemented life-long memories.

"It was the craziest night that I don't think any of us are ever going to forget. It was such an incredible experience."

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