Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has said all along that the Penguins expect to have goalie Tristan Jarry ready for Game 1 of the playoffs.
Tuesday’s practice was more affirmation of that. The No. 1 netminder participated with the full group in a full capacity. This comes one day after he took part in a workout with goaltending coach Mike Buckley. All signs say he’ll be good to go when it counts.
Jarry initially popped up on the injury report on Friday. He missed practice with an upper-body injury and Saturday’s season finale against the Buffalo Sabres.
In 39 games this season, Jarry posted a 2.75 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. His performance got better as the season unfolded. In the last 20 outings, he’s 14-2-2 with a .918 save percentage and a pair of shutouts against the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins.
When the playoffs begin, he'll be one of the bigger X-factors. He was solid in his one and only playoff appearance last year against the Montreal Canadiens, allowing just one goal on 21 shots. Now his test will be to carry that over through a longer playoff run.
Casey DeSmith, meanwhile, was absent from practice. He missed the final three games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. In his absence, third goalie Maxime Lagace stepped into the crease. Thrust into action for the season finale, Lagace posted his first shutout in his Penguins debut. Sullivan said previously the club anticipates DeSmith will also be healthy in time for the playoffs.
Tanev back in his familiar spot
Penguins tenacious winger Brandon Tanev participated in line rushes for the first time since he was injured. You can probably guess where he was.
Yup. He skated on Teddy Blueger's right wing on a line that also featured left winger Zach Aston-Reese.
That trio has stuck together more than any other line over the least two seasons. They’ve established a strong identity as a pesky, tight-checking line that embraces their many defensive zone starts and can be trusted on the ice against an opponent’s top line.
The full lines were as follows:
Guentzel – Crosby – Rust
Zucker – Malkin – Kapanen
McCann – Carter – Gaudreau
Aston-Reese – Blueger – Tanev
Geno getting up to speed
Just in case you were still worried, Evgeni Malkin was also a full participant at practice.
He did not take a shift for the final eight-plus minutes of Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. However, he once again centered his regular second line during practice. The star center also stuck around after practice to do a variety of skating drills.
In the four games since he returned from injury, Malkin has recorded four assists and is still looking for his first goal. This extra week off between the regular season and the playoffs could be most-beneficial for a player like Malkin to get that much closer to full strength physically and regain his timing after weeks away from the game.
“We think he’s only going to get better with each game that he gets under his belt,” Sullivan said. “He’s such a talented player. He works extremely hard. He’s worked extremely hard for the last six or seven weeks. We’re certainly encouraged by the progress that he’s made.”
Injury updates
The Penguins had a full house at practice on Tuesday, with DeSmith being the only noteworthy absence.
Mike Matheson wore a full, college-style metal cage. He missed the final four games of the regular season after taking a puck to the face in Washington on May 1. He skated in a full-contact capacity in his regular role alongside Cody Ceci.
Evan Rodrigues, who took a Matheson shot to the boot on April 29, wore a full-contact jersey, as well. He did not take line rushes but looked to be a full participant.
The Penguins will have an interesting decision to make if Rodrigues is medically cleared in time for Game 1. He’s proven to be a versatile player with some offensive upside. However, Freddy Gaudreau may have done enough to push Rodrigues out of the lineup. He gives the Penguins another right-handed faceoff man and a penalty-killing option. Gaudreau probably also has the stronger defensive conscience.
Mike DeFabo: mdefabo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @MikeDeFabo.
First Published: May 11, 2021, 3:46 p.m.