After his lowest moment as a professional led to calls for him to be sent packing, Tristan Jarry responded with the finest season of his career in 2021-22.
He was outstanding in the season’s first two months, going 15-5-4 with a .932 save percentage before Christmas. At one point, he gave up three total goals in the span of six games. That got him invited to his second career All-Star Game.
Jarry cooled off in the second half, allowing four or more goals 11 times. Still, add it all up and he posted career highs in wins and goals-against average.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get a fair chance to atone for his playoff meltdown in 2021 due to a broken foot. He rushed back to play the New York Rangers in Game 7, but the Penguins lost in overtime. Jarry was clearly hobbled. His mindset was not the issue when he stepped into the Madison Square Garden spotlight.
General manager Ron Hextall and the Penguins were pleased with the way Jarry performed in the face of all that adversity. And they feel the 27-year-old hasn’t yet hit his ceiling. But it also appears they want to see more before hitching themselves to him long-term. Jarry is entering the final year of his contract.
So what can he do to earn that commitment and the cash that goes with it?
Certainly, stopping playoff pucks would get him beaucoup bucks. Nothing can be done about that now. But in the regular season he can take another step forward, possibly into the Vezina mix, if he can bring his “A” game more often.
Jarry has come a long way in this regard, starting with his practice habits. He is less prone to the mid-game lapses that plagued him early in his career. And he doesn’t deliver many duds. He has been pulled only thrice the last three years.
But to be considered elite, Jarry must eliminate some of those so-so evenings and steal more games. That’s easier said than done, of course. But the NHL’s very best goalies regularly make a difference, not just for spurts here and there.
If Jarry can ascend to that level, someone will give him a lucrative contract.
The Penguins made a curious decision this summer when they opted to stick with Casey DeSmith as the backup, signing him to a two-year, $3.6 million deal.
DeSmith, 31, struggled mightily for much of last season. As a result, the Penguins used him sparingly, which may have overtaxed Jarry. DeSmith started to rediscover his game and ended up finishing the season with a .914 save percentage. But then he suffered a season-ending injury in his first career playoff start.
It was the second straight year that DeSmith went down when the Penguins needed him most. Two seasons ago, he suffered another core muscle injury, which made him unavailable while Jarry faltered against the New York Islanders.
The fact that DeSmith needed surgery in consecutive springs, along with his uneven play over the last three years, suggested the Penguins should explore alternatives. But they locked up DeSmith one week before the start of free agency.
DeSmith does have the perfect disposition for the No. 2 gig. He’s a hard worker. He is well-liked. He has a positive attitude. And he’s comfortable in his role.
But the Penguins need consistency from him when he gets into goal, as well.
Louis Domingue was a fun story for a few days in May. Then midnight struck on his Cinderella story, a significant factor in the team’s latest first-round flop.
That loss to the Rangers served as a reminder of the importance of the third goalie. You pray you won’t need them, because there is a reason 64 other goalies are in the NHL and they’re not. But you hope to have one you sort of trust.
So it is worth noting the Penguins are entering this season with a new third goalie behind Jarry and DeSmith. They brought back a familiar face in Dustin Tokarski, who played for their American Hockey League affiliate three years ago.
Tokarski was with the Buffalo Sabres the last two years. He played 42 games at the NHL level, including a career-high 29 last season. He allowed 3.35 goals per game and had a .901 save percentage playing behind a poor Sabres defense.
