As reports out of Canada Friday indicated that the Penguins could soon enter the market for goaltending help, multiple sources within the organization told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that’s extremely unlikely.
The Penguins are by no means happy with the goaltending they’ve gotten recently. They feel like they’re basically allowing at least one soft goal per game.
But there’s little they can do when you look at acquiring cost, the team’s salary-cap situation and the quality of netminders available.
So for now, until Matt Murray returns from a lower-body injury — he’s out “longer-term” — it’s going to be Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry, with DeSmith the preferred option over the 23-year-old Jarry.
DeSmith, who has won three consecutive starts, ranks 12th among qualifying goaltenders with a 2.41 goals-against average and 10th with a .924 save percentage.
Those are certainly respectable numbers, but the Penguins’ concern has more to do with the quality of goals DeSmith and Jarry have allowed rather than the quantity.
By declining to add a veteran — Detroit’s Jimmy Howard was one they were linked to — the Penguins will be rolling the dice that DeSmith and Jarry can hold the fort until Murray returns.
Even then, Murray must regain his old form. He’s last among qualifying goaltenders in goals-against average (4.08) and next to last in save percentage (.877).
As a team, the Penguins currently rank 23rd in five-on-five save percentage at .912. Their high-danger save percentage five-on-five is even worse; it’s .796, which ranks 27th.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: November 30, 2018, 12:04 a.m.
