It was a tough weekend for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they continued their road struggles. A pair of one-goal losses dropped the Penguins to 2-4-1 in their last six games and behind the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals in the standings.
Several of the Penguins' worrisome habits from earlier in the season cropped up in their loss to the Winnipeg Jets, with an indifference to playing defense at the forefront. Their goaltender, Tristan Jarry, kept them within striking distance once again.
Jarry is having an impressive season and ranks eighth in the NHL in goals saved above expected per Moneypuck.com. His 2.44 goals allowed average and .916 save percentage would rank third among his best seasons.
The primary difference is the team in front of him. In 2021-22, his best season, the Penguins ranked ninth in expected goals allowed and sixth in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes. This season, the Penguins rank 13th and 21st in those categories.
Despite the drop in defensive production, Jarry is hovering around the best numbers of his career, and the Penguins are 3rd in the NHL in goals allowed.
The Penguins are a flawed team that has remained competitive because of contributions from a few select players. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel have been the faces of this, but Tristan Jarry certainly deserves to be in that conversation.
More must-reads: