Penguins Update: In Tristan Jarry’s Defense
Anyone who’s been following the recent plight of our Penguins knows that goalie Tristan Jarry is persona non grata in these parts. Public Enemy No. 1 and the anti-Christ all rolled into one. The root of all our evils.
In Jarry’s defense?
He has no defense.
Let me explain.
Step into the WABAC machine with me if you will to the start of the 2017-18 season. Following our second of back-to-back Stanley Cups, we experienced significant roster turnover. One of those changes involved paying the fledging Vegas Golden Knights a second-round pick to take franchise goalie Marc-André Fleury off our hands in the expansion draft. (Can you imagine?)
No worries. Phenom Matt Murray was to set to take over as the full-time starter between the pipes.
To serve as backup, then-GM Jim Rutherford signed veteran Antti Niemi. Although the 34-year-old “Finnish Fortress” was on the downside of a solid career, he figured to be a more-than-capable veteran backup.
In his first start in Chicago against his old team, the Blackhawks, Niemi was strafed for four goals on 13 shots before he was mercifully yanked midway through the first period of what became a humiliating 10-1 loss.