Penguins Goalie Returns in Disappointing Fashion

The Pittsburgh Penguins were disappointed by their starting goalie's return to the lineup.

Mar 2, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) handles the puck during the first period in a game against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images / Brett Holmes-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins hoped that these few weeks away from the team would be positive for starting goalie Tristan Jarry. After the season began in extremely disappointing fashion between injury and poor performance, Jarry traveled to Scranton, Pennsylvania for four games with the team's AHL affiliate.

After going 3-1 there, the Penguins recalled Jarry confident that a fresh start could help turn his season around. Instead, the 29-year-old net minder returned and looked exactly like the goalie he was before his conditioning stint.

His first start came on the road as the team battled the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team fought hard for parts of the game, but ultimately lost 6-2.

It started off with the worst-case scenario, as the Jackets scored on their first shot of the game. The point shot was redirected at the net front, but it set the tone immediately that more of the same from Jarry was imminent.

His second goal allowed was a perfectly defendable shot from Blue Jackets defender Zach Werenski, and it was a perfect example of the drop in confidence Jarry is experiencing in Pittsburgh. Routine saves are hard for him, regardless of the effort, right positioning and his natural athleticism. That flappable mindset continued all game, and he never gave his team a chance to win or even come close.

The Penguins are moving in a younger direction and their slow chug towards a rebuild is now becoming an express ride with the start they are having in 2024. In many ways, Jarry is the ultimate symbol for the end of this Penguins era.

The organization likely went against their better judgement when they extended him during the summer of 2023. The team desperately wanted to give Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin another Stanley Cup contending roster, and a dependable goalie was integral. That desire to continue stretching out their window to win, a desire that's lead to a glut of bloated contracts, guided their decision-making more than it should have.

The result is this team is now locked into multiple contracts with modified or no movement clauses for players who aren't bringing a Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh, and Jarry is one of them. This team is destined for some early draft picks in the coming years, whether they embrace it or not. Jarry's continued disappointing play is one of just many worries and issues the Penguins are trying to navigate for the rest of the coming season.

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