Expect Penguins' Netminders to Split Starts More Often
Both Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic give the Pittsburgh Penguins great opportunities to win every night.
With the Pittsburgh Penguins preparing to play back-to-back games in the final two days of 2023, it’s more than likely both Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic will make starts in goal.
That sort of 50/50 split (or at least something close) is something the Penguins should utilize going forward.
The duo of Jarry and Nedeljkovic has been one of the best tandems in the NHL and have given the Penguins a great chance to win night in and night out.
This kind of production from their netminders has been something of a revelation for the Penguins, especially considering the struggles that came last year.
Jarry has been a steady hand as the starter, even if the record doesn’t reflect as much; in 23 games, he holds a 10-11-2 record.
Even in some of his losses, Jarry has looked like one of the best players in a Penguins uniform; he is tied for the league lead with four shutouts and a .916 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average.
Nedeljkovic has had himself a great start to the year in hopes of a resurgence from what he did the last two seasons in Detroit.
After working through an early-season injury, Nedeljkovic has appeared in 10 games and picked up a 5-2-2 record with a shutout.
With a .917 save percentage and 2.64 goals against average, Nedeljkovic is just as useful between the pipes as Jarry.
Head coach Mike Sullivan isn't afraid to ride the hot hand in goal, either, proven by Nedeljkovic recently getting three straight starts.
With a little help from third string goalie Magnus Hellberg, the Penguins lead the NHL in total team shutouts with six.
In total, the Penguins have allowed the fourth fewest goals in the NHL at 90 and much of that is due to the success of Jarry and Nedeljkovic.
Moving forward into the new year, it’s safe to expect them to split the net at a near perfect split.
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