Click here to subscribe today or Login.
When Tristan Jarry decided to become a goaltender when he was a kid, it was because of the moment he faced in the last two minutes of Saturday’s game against the Hershey Bears.
The Penguins were clinging to a one-goal lead when a bench minor put the Bears on the power play. Hershey pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker and a two-man advantage.
But Jarry was the one who came up big, making several saves to preserve the lead and guide the Penguins to a 3-2 win – their 10th straight at home.
The Penguins are now 16-2-0-0 and a night after Matt Murray was key in a 3-0 win over Providence, Jarry was just as crucial to the victory on Saturday.
Jarry, who is now 6-0, stopped 25 of 27 shots in the night. One of his biggest saves came with 13 seconds left when he stuffed a Chandler Stephenson shot from in close, but for head coach Mike Sullivan, Jarry’s most impressive moment came after he gave up a fluky goal.
With the Penguins up 3-1 early in the third period, Hershey’s Riley Barber sent a bad angle shot that deflected off Jarry’s stick and between the post to cut the lead to one.
“That’s hockey. I’ve seen it happen to some of the best goaltenders in the world, and the most important thing is you respond the right way,” Sullivan said. “(Jarry) did. Nobody got down in the dumps, especially Tristan.”
Jarry said his mindset after the goal was to continue his strong play and show his teammates that he can still be trusted.
“Show the team that I’m still in the game and ready to play,” he said. “That was the biggest thing for me.”
The Penguins built their lead in the second period.
Kevin Porter got things going just 26 seconds into the period when he broke free from two Hershey defenders and punched in a shot to make it 1-0.
“Kevin wins the puck battle on the opening faceoff and we go down and score,” Sullivan said. “For me it started right there. Those little puck battles are a big deal.”
After that, Hershey was whistled for three consecutive penalties and the Penguins spent extensive time in the offensive zone.
Niclas Andersen put the Penguins up 2-0 when he sent a long wrister into the far top corner a minute after a power play expired.
Hershey went to the box again four minutes later and this time Jean-Sebastien Dea scored with the man advantage to make it 3-0.
While the Penguins dominated the period, they didn’t come out of it unscathed. Hershey’s Erik Burgdoerfer sent a shot in from the corner past Jarry to cut the lead to 3-1 with 24 seconds left in the period.
“I told them in between periods they (Hershey) made a nice play. It was a great shot,” Sullivan said. “As long as we’re trying to play the right way, then we’re OK with it as their coaches.”
Looking to ride the momentum from the late goal, the Bears came out firing in the third period, ripping six shots in the first three minutes. But Jarry staved off the attack, highlighted by a glove save on a Paul Carey shot from in close.
But in the end, Jarry won the game for the Penguins in the final minutes by staving off a Hershey attack during a two-man advantage.
“That’s the reason why you’re a goalie,” Jarry said. “When I chose to be a goalie, that was one of the things for me – to be in those situations.”