The Pittsburgh Penguins goalies have struggled in similar areas to start 2022-23.
Most players on the Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled during their current six-game losing streak. The goaltenders are no exception. They have combined to allow 27 goals during this losing stretch. They'll need to turn it around if the Penguins want to end this losing streak.
So what, in particular, have they been struggling with?
Positioning
This issue has been more prevalent in the past two games, as each goaltender has given up goals almost solely based on poor positioning. Usually, Tristan Jarry is one of the most well-positioned goaltenders in the league. Making the more difficult saves look easy because he is not scrambling to make up for poor positioning.
In the video below, you see a shot from the point with no one near the crease. Jarry is too deep in his crease and moves slightly away from the play just before the Bruins defender shoots the puck, leaving more room for the puck to skip passed him. The deflection makes this save more difficult, but if Jarry positioned himself higher in his crease and on the correct angle, the puck would've hit him in the stomach.
The positioning has been more of an issue with Casey DeSmith to start the season. He struggled with overcommitting in his starts against the Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken. This trait haunted Penguins earlier this week against the Buffalo Sabres.
On two of the Sabres five third-period goals, DeSmith was nowhere near the net when the shot entered the net. He had overcommitted once again and left the back door wide open. Even the most athletic goaltender in the league wouldn't be able to get across from where DeSmith had himself positioned.
Failure to Make the Timely Save
The Penguins have entered the third period of the last four games, either leading or trailing by one goal. In almost all four games, the Penguins goalies allowed a weak goal in the most timely moments of the game.
Neither goaltender has been good in the third period this season. The team, as a whole, has struggled in the final frame, but the numbers remain disproportionately bad for Jarry and DeSmith.
Jarry's performance, in particular, falls off once the final 20 minutes kick in. He goes from being a slightly above-average goaltender in the first two periods to far below-average in the final frame.
Stats compiled from NaturalStatTrick.comTo make matters worse, the frequency of high-danger chances for opposing teams has decreased in the third period when Jarry has been in the net. This brings me to my next point.
Issues Against High-Danger Scoring Chances
The Penguins rank 31st in the NHL in high-danger goals allowed with 19. However, that can't be blamed on the defensive play, as the team ranks toward the top of the league (11th) in high-danger chances allowed.
The difference is goaltending. According to Natural Stat Trick, Jarry and DeSmith rank 58th and 63rd, respectively, in high-danger save percentage. Jarry's .745 High-Danger Save Percentage (HDSV%) is far worse than his .824 HDSV% in 2021-22.
It hasn't been all bad for Jarry this season. His first four starts were exceptional as he collected a 4-0-0 record with a .941 save percentage while allowing only 2.00 goals per game.
The Penguins will need Jarry to revert to his form from the first week of the season if they want to have any hope of competing for a playoff spot this season. For DeSmith, backup goalies are always known to be volatile, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Last season, DeSmith started the year with an identical record (0-3-1) but with a much lower save percentage (0.867). He turned his season around and won eight of his next ten games. DeSmith finished the season with a .914 save percentage.
The skaters can change a lot, but if the Penguins want to bounce back, it needs to start with their goalies.
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