3 Pittsburgh Penguins to blame for season-opening loss to Blackhawks
The Pittsburgh Penguins 2023-24 season started just how their previous campaign left off -- blowing a late third-period lead to the Chicago Blackhawks.
By Mark Powell
Pittsburgh Penguins to blame: Tristan Jarry
Tristan Jarry will be asked to do a lot this season. Both Karlsson and Kris Letang aren't elite defensive players on the back end, which will force Jarry into some difficult situations. On Tuesday night, he was not up to the task. Jarry allowed three goals on 35 shots, good for a .914 save percentage. That does not look bad on paper, but some of those goals frankly should have been stopped.
“Whats next for Tristan Jarry?”pic.twitter.com/z0Dj1ifoZA
— Andrew (@based_shesty) October 11, 2023
There is no question that Jarry has the physical ability to be one of the best goalies in the sport. The Penguins sure pay him as if he's already accomplished that. Yet, what separates Jarry from the greats is his mental makeup, and his late-game save percentage, which shrinks in big moments.
Boy wonder Kyle Dubas really went all out to turn the Penguins into a SC contender again only to keep that sieve Tristan Jarry as his starting goalie.
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 11, 2023
I saw that dude give up 4 goals in one period to the injury-depleted Habs last season, absolutely brutal 😅 https://t.co/kkncqcuS2k
The Pens defense did not put him in a position to succeed, and we'll get to that. It's something the Pens will have to work on moving forward. But, Jarry signed on for this challenge. It's a long season, and Jarry should have time to redeem himself. Tuesday was another breakdown, and Pittsburgh isn't young nor talented enough to afford those in a postseason chase that technically started today.