Tristan Jarry had a tough year for Pittsburgh in 2024/25, and now he’s opened up on some of the biggest struggles he had with the Penguins this season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins overall struggled this season, but the most shocking part of that campaign was the struggles of their goaltending, which ranks in the bottom three in the NHL in goals allowed per game.
The biggest story in net was the early struggles of veteran Tristan Jarry, who was sent back to the AHL through waivers, and given his contract and his level of play at the time, it’s no surprise that opposing teams didn’t want to take a chance on him.
Down the stretch, the veteran goaltender has improved significantly, and he credits that turnaround to playing more free, noting that he was way too focused on technique during his struggles as his issues continued to compound.
«I feel better about my game. I think that I was a little too focused on technique and how I was playing instead of just playing. Now I feel like I’m playing with a free mind. And just being able to do your thing and let your skills take over, I think that’s when you’re at your best. And, obviously, it helps to have results, too.»
That has been an issue all season for Jarry, but when he struggled he continued to look to his technique to get out of the situation, instead of just making saves, and it’s something he admits he’s gone back too late in the season.
«I think over the summer, I was too worried about whether my left pad was here or my glove was there, rather than just stopping the puck. I think a big thing that kind of made me successful early on [as an NHL starter] was that I was never really the prettiest goalie to watch, but I made saves at the end of the day.»
In his last eight starts, Jarry has posted a save percentage over .900 in five of them, showing that while he’s not back to his best, he’s certainly improved from what we saw early in the season, and if he’s not moved in the summer, it’s safe to say that if he brings this level of play in 2025/26, he could be a solid starter once more for Pittsburgh.