A quickie game-day post ahead of the Penguins-Maple Leafs tilt to discuss the plight of our goaltending.
Not only are Alex Nedeljkovic and rookie Joel Blomqvist having difficulty stopping pucks at the big-league level (with a huge assist to atrocious team defense) but the malaise has spread to the minor leagues as well. Or more specifically, Tristan Jarry.
Indeed, it would appear the former All-Star is up to his old tricks in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Last night during a 5-4 overtime loss at Hershey, he yielded five goals on 36 shots, sinking his record to 2-4-1 with an .894 save percentage since rejoining the Baby Pens in late January.
For whatever reasons (chronic hip injury/confidence/both/neither), Jarry can’t seem to stop pucks in the AHL, either. Taking things a step further, why we insist on playing him is a head-scratcher, especially since he no longer appears to be remotely in the team’s future plans.
Not only does Jarry appear to be sabotaging a promising young team’s hopes for a decent finish and playoff run, but he’s gumming up the goalie pipeline as well. Russian wunderkind Sergei Murashov, who posted a 4-0 record and sterling .942 save percentage for the Baby Pens during a late January-early February cameo, was returned to Wheeling of the ECHL to make room for Tristan.
Although Murashov has handled the unwarranted demotion well (.939 save percentage since returning to the Nailers), it would seem he has little left to prove in “the Coast.”
When it comes to goalies, no team or GM gets it right all the time. Jack Campbell, Cal Petersen and former Cup winners Philipp Grubauer and ex-Pen Matt Murray are classic examples of once-accomplished goalies gone bad. (Incidentally, with a 1.70 goals against average and .933 save percentage, Murray’s been as effective in the AHL as Jarry’s been porous.)
Heck, even Sergei Bobrovsky looked like an egregious overpay as recently as two seasons ago. Ditto recent get-richers Jeremy Swayman and Igor Shesterkin.
Still, however he achieves it (trade/buyout), for the good of the organization’s young goalies, Pens POHO/GM Kyle Dubas needs to make divesting the team of Jarry and his onerous contract (three seasons left at $5.375 million per) a priority.
Rick
The old saying is if an NHL Goalie can see it he should be able to make the save. This
doesn’t appear to be true with Penguin goalies. I can’t believe I’m saying this but our
Goaltending is in much worst shape than our Defense. Even on the play where EK65’s
pass was picked off prior to the end of the period thats a save Blomqvist should make.
I think it’s time for Dubas to start the process of making major moves and clearing
house.
I know some may disagree with me but I think Dubas needs to have a serious sit down
with both Malkin and Letang about agreeing to a trade or getting on with there life’s
work. If we want to stay somewhat competitive for Crosby’s last season’s we need to
be able to erase that 12M from the books.
Sorry Mike, I have to disagree with you on the Goaltending last game. The only GA I put on Blomqvist is the Timmins Goal.
GA1 – The First Tor Goal is on Ryan Graves. Everybody, including the people at the concession stands could see that Blomqvist was going to make the correct play and direct the rebound to the corner, his stick was clearly angled that way all the from the point when Graves re-entered his own zone. However, Graves chose to cut to the inside (his own slot) so that when the puck came off Blomqvist stick, he was way out of position and could barely touch the puck reach back. That set up the chain of events that Set up Domi wide open on the far side.
GA2 – Is the only one Blomqvist can be faulted. He was sitting too deep in his net and was giving away room on the far side. I do forgive a little though, because as usual an Opponent Forward was camped in his crease and even bumped into him seconds before the shot, un challenged by the Ruth Buzzi defense and Timmins had all day to look the net over; no Penguins defender pressuring him.
GA3 – Austin Mathews is a Goal scorer and he was also given all day to look the net over and had a screen.
GA4 – Tavares is another Goal scorer. He had a wide open lane to the net, all the time in the world to look the net over and chose to shoot while he was smack dab in the middle of the slot, between the dots, putting Blomqvist in the most vulnerable spot of having no real angle, having to cover the entire net.
GA5 – Knies another gifted Goal scorer had a similar play as Tavares but far more time to look the net over, having his lane all the way from his own zone.
GA6 – Nylander, another gifted Goal scorer was gifted an even more prime opportunity in OT than Tavares or Knies, not only was he allowed (because of the 3 – on – 3 situation) to cut cross ice and cut lose with a wicked shot back across the grain, from between the circles.
Perhaps the old adage of a Goalie should stop any shot he sees (not screened or deflected) was accurate 50 years ago, with the heavy wooden sticks with limited curves on the blades when wrist shots were more like the speed of a baseball coming at an infielder, but in todays hockey with composite sticks teched up to the nth degree and with players like Matherws, Kneis, Tavares, and Nylander given an entire month to look the net over, the Goalie is at a complete disadvantage. Pucks from players like the above explode off their sticks while reaction tome is still limited to the conduction potential of the myelin sheath around the neural tissue.
The Other Rick
We’ll have to agree to disagree. Both Tavaras and Knies let their shots go quickly and both times
Blomqvist was beaten blocker side. I’m with Tim on this one – he’s slow to react and drops to
his knees way, way, to quick for my liking. You go high he’s toast.
Another horrid performance by Blomqvist this guy has the slowest reflexes I have ever seen in an NHL goalie. You say get jettison Jarry, yessir! Nedeljkovic isn’t much better at most a weak backup and Blomqvist please return him to wherever he came from. What if the Penguins had a legitimate number 1 goaltender? If Blomqvist had an average save percentage of .904 the Pens win the game. How many games would the Pens have won this season with a goaltender that gives them at minimum an average performance. They would probably easily have a playoff spot or even better. At the top of everyone’s wish list for the deadline should be a number one goalie. Karlsson for a real goalie is the move I would make.