Tristan Jarry stopped nearly 50 shots in his first game back in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup.
PITTSBURGH - Without their starting goalie in net, the Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled to make saves and win hockey games.
Losing Tristan Jarry in the Winter Classic set the Penguins off on a brutal run through the first three weeks of November, but his impact upon return was felt immediately.
Jarry returned to the lineup and in his first action since his injury faced over 40 shots on the way to a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators.
The Penguins were looking for a little revenge against the Sens, and Jarry was arguably the biggest help.
The Senators totaled 45 shots against Jarry with only one sneaking past on an awkward bank shot from Brady Tkachuk.
Jarry was playing aggressive and his confidence was visible as he made 44 saves with relative ease.
“I thought I was seeing the puck well,” Jarry said. “I guess it helps to get that many shots early and get into the feel of the game.”
The Penguins were without Jarry for almost eight games and not only did he have the time to heal and recover, but get himself motivated for a solid return.
“Well rested,” Jarry jokingly stated about how he feels. “I’ve had a little bit of time off. It’s never easy having to watch games.”
Prior to being taken off of the injured reserve, Jarry said he was hoping to come back better than when he left.
With the amount of rubber he stopped in his return, it’s safe to say he feels pretty sharp in net.
Head coach Mike Sullivan was happy to have his starting goalie back in net and expressed what he means to the Penguins when he’s on the ice.
“He’s such a good goalie,” Sullivan said. “He’s got such a calm demeanor in there. He makes some difficult saves sometimes look routine. That’s when he’s at his best.”
The Penguins are still trying to work their way back to full health, but it could be argued that getting Jarry back was the top priority for improvement.
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