Belle Mulhern, Managing Editor
After the Penguins’ unfortunate 2018-19 postseason, general manager Jim Rutherford sought change.
After making multiple trades throughout the off-season, the decision was made to send backup goalie Casey DeSmith down to the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Alongside that decision came the upbringing of the AHL team’s current goalie: Tristan Jarry.
Although Jarry had played for the Penguins a handful of times after being drafted in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, his potential was not evident to the fanbase until this season. In his first game as the official backup goalie, Jarry secured a 7-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
As coach Mike Sullivan gave Jarry more chances to play, his skill became admired by Penguins fans who felt let down by starting goalie Matt Murray after constantly letting seemingly simple goals into the net.
To set the record straight, I am a fan of Marc-Andre Fleury, the 13-year Penguins goalie who was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights, which protected Murray’s spot on the Penguins. It’s important to mention this because that being said, like Fleury fans across the board, I have somewhat of a personal bias. However, the stats don’t speak for my opinion.
Murray is not a horrible goaltender. By 23 years old, he had held two Stanley Cups and was still technically a rookie. However, were the two consecutive Stanley Cups the peak of Murray’s career?
According to Murray’s official game log from Fox Sports, the goalie’s save percentage is currently .900 with Jarry’s at .929. Additionally, when it comes to a shootout save percentage, Jarry defeats Murray with a .917 as compared to a .667.
While it could be argued that Murray is at a disadvantage because he technically has played more games this season than Jarry has, the difference is not too large. With 29 games played this season compared to Jarry’s 27 as of Feb. 10, there is no reason for there to be such a drastic difference in Murray’s stats.
So far this season, Jarry has been named an NHL All-Star, completed three shutouts in four games (two of which were consecutive) and ultimately created a name for himself in Penguins hockey. Murray has suffered his lowest save percentage ever and been outplayed by his backup.
I truly believe that Jarry is the future of Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending. Regardless of Murray’s wins and amazing plays, his general performance has been relatively lackluster since winning the Stanley Cup in 2017. I believe that because both of the goalies are unrestricted, Murray should be let go for the 2020-21 season.
Jarry exudes hard work, talent and the skillful goaltending that the Penguins have always managed to maintain and looks like a keeper for upcoming seasons.
Belle Mulhern, Managing Editor