Monday, January 27, 2025, 9:09PM |  37°
MENU
Advertisement
Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry speaks Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, at NHL All-Star media day in St. Louis
2
MORE

Countdown to camp: Is Tristan Jarry ready to be the true No. 1 goalie?

Matt Vensel/Post-Gazette

Countdown to camp: Is Tristan Jarry ready to be the true No. 1 goalie?

To count down the days until Penguins training camp, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat writers Matt Vensel and Mike DeFabo will dive into a new hockey topic each weekday until the first puck rattles the Plexiglass at PPG Paints Arena. Today we discuss a popular topic from last season, the goalies.

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is never one to sit by idly and let problems fix themselves. But this offseason especially, after another first-round flameout in the postseason, he went to work. The top-six got a winger. The bottom defensive pair added two new players. And the coaching staff was overhauled with all new assistants.

However, when Rutherford was asked recently by the Post-Gazette what intrigues him most about the upcoming season, the former goaltender gravitated back to a familiar place.

Advertisement

“It will be a new challenge for our goaltending,” Rutherford said. “With Tristan [Jarry], the majority of the responsibility will be on him. He’s coming off a very good year. We’ll watch to see how he makes that adjustment.”

Sidney Crosby celebrates his goal with teammate Jake Guentzel  in the second period against the Montreal Canadiens during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round at Scotiabank Arena on August 01, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario.
Mike DeFabo
Countdown to camp: Can Todd Reirden fix Penguins' broken power play?

Partially out of salary-cap necessity, the Penguins orchestrated a changing of the guard in goal this offseason. Matt Murray, who backstopped the club to back-to-back championships just a few short seasons ago, was dealt to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a prospect and a second-round pick. Meanwhile, Jarry earned a three-year contract extension through the 2022-23 season carrying an average annual value of $3.5 million.

In tandem, the moves clearly illustrate the Tristan Jarry era in Pittsburgh has officially begun.

Jarry, 25, is coming off a standout season – and a somewhat surprising one. He began last season pigeonholed in the backup role, earning playing time only on the second half of back-to-back games when even the worst No. 2 gets a shot. But after Murray slumped for the second-straight November, Jarry seized the opportunity. He eventually earned an All-Star Game nod, set a franchise record for shutout streak and ended the season in net for the elimination game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Advertisement

Now, with a much more clearly defined and expanded role, what is a realistic expectation for Year 1?

The answer to that question depends, to some degree, upon which Jarry emerges this year. Early on last year, Jarry was arguably the most-significant reason the Penguins were able to weather a long list of injuries to their biggest names and best players. Through 18 starts from October through December, Jarry posted a 13-5-0 record, .938 save percentage and three shutouts. The stretch included the aforementioned record-setting run, during which Jarry didn’t allow a goal for 177 minutes, 15 seconds.

However, the Murray vs. Jarry debate that ignited talk radio was a debate for a reason. Neither goalie really stole the show in the second half.

When the calendar turned to 2020, Jarry went 7-7-1 with a mediocre .901 save percentage. Jarry’s numbers were actually worse than Murray after the New Year. He finished the regular season in a bit of a skid with four consecutive losses during which he gave up 4.5 goals per game.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman John Marino skates up ice against the Coyotes Friday, Dec. 6, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena in Uptown.
Matt Vensel
Countdown to camp: Will John Marino continue to shine this season?

Jarry has pedigree as a second-round pick in 2013 and a championship resume as the Edmonton Oil Kings Memorial Cup-winning goalie. But the game-in, game-out grind of an NHL season will be a new opportunity and a new challenge.

Can Casey DeSmith step back into the backup goalie job – and how much do they use him?

Two seasons ago, when Murray went through a slump and then an injury, it was DeSmith who helped Penguins get their season back on the rails. In 36 games, 30 of them starts, DeSmith posted a 15-11-5 record with a .916 save percentage and 2.93 goals-against average in 2018-19. He was rewarded with a three-year extension with the expectation he’d fill the role of the backup for years to come.

However, when the Penguins chose to keep Jarry as the second goal last season, DeSmith was placed on waivers and then sent to the AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In 41 games, he recorded a .905 save percentage and 2.92 goals-against average. While those numbers aren't quite as good as they were at the NHL level, it’s worth noting that the Penguins’ AHL affiliate wasn’t exactly flush with talent after years of trading away picks for NHL-ready players.

This year, with Murray now gone, DeSmith will step back into his familiar role as the No. 2. It will be interesting to watch how Sullivan chooses to split the workload between his netminders.

On one hand, playing the backup frequently could have a lot of value during a shortened, condensed season. Not only could it help keep Jarry fresh late into the season, it might also give the opponent something new to consider when the overwhelming majority of the games will be playing in two-games “series.” At the same time, when there are fewer games, each one means more. So there’s an equally compelling argument for starting your ace early and often.

Who is the third goalie?

An interesting wrinkle of this unique season is that every team must carry a third goalie at all times, either on the active roster or on the new taxi squad.

Rutherford indicated that the most likely candidate behind Jarry and DeSmith is Maxime Lagace, who signed a one-year, two-way contract this offseason worth $700,000 at the NHL level. Lagace, 28, was one of the five goaltenders the Vegas Golden Knights used during their inaugural season. In 16 games in 2017-18, he went 6-7-1 with a .867 save percentage. He made one more NHL appearance in 2018-19.

Diving deeper into the organization’s depth chart, Emil Larmi is the next-best goalie. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’d be the next-man up. He’s currently playing in Finland and will remain there during Penguins’ training camp. The American Hockey League is scheduled to start sometime in early February. Perhaps he becomes an option eventually.

Alex D’Orio is the other name to know if you only care about the NHL club. He’s likely to start the year in Wheeling, which means he’d only be an hour from Pittsburgh in case of an emergency.

Mike DeFabo: mdefabo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @MikeDeFabo.

 

Twitter: @MikeDeFabo

First Published: December 25, 2020, 2:59 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey spoke Monday to members of the Pennsylvania Press Club in Harrisburg.
1
news
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey says his administration will not work with ICE
Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II walks around the field before an NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver.
2
sports
Art Rooney II gives Mike Tomlin vote of confidence, admits Steelers unlikely to re-sign both QBs
T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on as the Baltimore Ravens huddle during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland.
3
sports
Brian Batko's Steelers chat transcript: 01.27.25
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, center, calls timeout during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. The Steelers won 16-10.
4
sports
Jason Mackey: Steelers' offseason has been tough to predict and understand
Visitors to the Three Rivers Arts Festival check out the Artist Market last year.
5
a&e
Three Rivers Arts Festival will move this year to the Strip District
Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry speaks Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, at NHL All-Star media day in St. Louis  (Matt Vensel/Post-Gazette)
Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stops a shot by the Montreal Canadiens in the first period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario.  (Getty Images)
Matt Vensel/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story