Penguins
Kingerski: Sullivan Starting Nedeljkovic, Not Jarry, Speaks Volumes
ELMONT, NY — The Pittsburgh Penguins will close their 2023-24 season Wednesday against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. They were oh-so-close to erasing an impossible nine-point deficit that existed as late as March 27 and qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Instead, the locker room was dealing with the bitter taste of disappointment after they didn’t get the necessary help and losses Tuesday.
However, as it has been since the Penguins turnaround began on March 24, coach Mike Sullivan will start Alex Nedeljkovic in the net Wednesday. That’s 14 straight games.
It’s not often, if ever, that a franchise’s No. 1 goalie is iced for the month of a regular season. Nedeljkovic will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 unless Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas tackles him and refuses to let him leave without signing a new contract on breakup day, which will occur in the next couple or few days.
So what does it say that Sullivan abandoned Jarry in the Penguins’ time of need and turned exclusively to Nedeljkovic?
It probably says more than Sullivan would care to admit.
Message to Jarry?
Jarry’s last start was in Dallas on March 22. The Penguins had a rough day in the 4-2 loss, which wasn’t that close. Defenseman Marcus Pettersson deflected one shot past Jarry, then bumped him, allowing the second to float across the line.
The Stars’ third goal deflected off defenseman Jack St. Ivany in the crease. The fourth was a third-period thorough undressing of defenseman Erik Karlsson, allowing Sam Steel a point-blank shot from between the circles.
Jarry didn’t skate away from the net as goalies often do. No, his icy stare toward the Penguins bench after the goal was rife with conjecture and discussion amongst us chattering class. What did it mean? Did it mean anything? Was he simply trying to get a message to his team to collectively stop helping the opponents?
Sullivan pulled Jarry during the third period in favor of Nedeljkovic. It’s not often goalies get pulled in the third period after allowing only four, either.
Your guess is as good as ours. Jarry hasn’t spoken since the game. He didn’t even speak postgame. He didn’t speak following relieving Nedeljkovic last Monday in the Penguins 6-4 loss to the Boston Bruins. Instead, Nedeljkovic owned up to his rough game in front of the prying media cameras and reporters’ questions.
Nedeljkovic Changes the Team
Take the recent compliments Sullivan heaped on Nedeljkovic after the Penguins 6-5 OT victory over the Detroit Red Wings on April 11. Exhibit A.
“He’s making timely saves, and he’s finding ways to help us win games. And I think there’s something to that. I just love his compete level. I love his battle level. His demeanor,” Sullivan said.
“So I think he’s really competing hard in there. And I think he’s finding ways to help us win games.”
Sure, he’s complimented Jarry over the years, but Sullivan’s comments for Nedeljkovic were personal.
Nedeljkovic’s appearance after the Boston game was a moment, too.
Players willing to face the music are a dying breed. It’s too easy to bolt the locker room in the five minutes before we’re supposed to get in (So many times, those of us on this side take heat for not asking questions about a particular moment, but so often, players aren’t available). Nedeljkovic’s re-emergence in the room spoke to many things: his character, forthrightness, and, I dare say, leadership.
It’s Nedeljkovic’s Team
With nothing left to play for but pride, Sullivan is letting Nedeljkovic finish the wild ride that he and the team started. At the very least, he’s showing appreciation for the hard charge.
Somewhere along the way, the Penguins seem to have become Nedeljkovic’s team. Sullivan pushed all-in with Nedeljkovic, even during the times he wasn’t sharp during the stretch run.
He chose a No. 1 goalie, and it wasn’t Jarry.
The decisions show that Sullivan was not concerned with the future or Jarry’s ego. Though cliche, he went with the goalie he thought gave the Penguins the best chance to win, not necessarily the more talented goalie but the one who made his team better.
It’s hard to argue the team’s performance behind Nedeljkovic. He and Jarry have nearly identical save percentage stats, but Jarry is only 19-25-5, while Nedeljkovic is 18-6-7.
Double-check those numbers. Nedeljkovic has one fewer win despite playing 18 fewer games and drawing the tougher end of the back-to-backs because he was the backup goalie.
Trust
While the team may disagree, it also seems that Jarry must regain trust. For the biggest games this season, the coaches trusted his understudy more than him. Jarry is signed for four more years with a $5.375 million AAV, and unless Dubas moves him along this summer, he will need to reestablish his position with the team.
If he didn’t give it away, it was taken away.
And that might be the biggest obstacle moving forward.
What Sullivan is doing isn’t right. Jarry deserves to be treated better. Time for a new coach.
Sending a message to this under. Achiever
If he pouts like baby then who needs him
Brassaro might have been different but he WON
Bye Bye Jarry
I was among those that were not in favor of signing Jarry again last summer…time for him to get another chance on a different team. He’s been good but not a goalie you can depend on in big games.
Perhaps Jarry was trying to say, “stop betting the farm on D men that can’t play D” (Karlsson)
Kenny Pickett… is that you? 🙂
Pickett was lied to. Jarry wasn’t.
Good Bye Jarry you and about 7 other players need to go with Sullivan and the coaching staff.
Jarry has done nothing but come up short when needed most. He’s great when the pressure is low but when it’s crunch time he folds. He has all the physical tools but you can’t teach or coach heart. Sullivan has his own issues but if you read between the lines of his comments and praises of Ned he’s telling you everything you need to know about what he really thinks of Jarry – which is what it appears Dan was pointing out. I hope they move Jarry at any cost and resign Ned and either bump up Blomqvist or bring… Read more »
Support it with data. He is the 14th highest paid goalie that performed this year with an average defense in the top 12 of the 31 highest paid goalies.
Here’s one data point for you: 2019 playoffs vs the Islanders.
Hope you’re not a product of local schools. If you are they hsve really gone down hill. Let’s measure players by bad plays. Malkin Letang and Karlsson would lead that list. Emotions not data.
It appears you lack the ability to actually appreciate the nuance of a “tongue in cheek” response and then immediately jump to ad hominem attacks. Impressive work, Dean.
*edited by PHN staff to remove external link. That also continues a rather disturbing career long trend for Jarry where he becomes increasingly unreliable as the season goes on. Since the beginning of March the Penguins have won just two of the nine games where Jarry was the goalie of record. Those wins came against the San Jose Sharks and Blue Jackets. They are two of the worst teams in the NHL. He has allowed a total of 36 goals in the month, posted a save percentage over .900 just four times and has allowed at least four goals in… Read more »
If you look up year by year stars for Jarry he is a .915-.920 save percentage October to December and .890-.900 save percentage from January on. That is a career split and season to season split. So by years end his statistics don’t look bad but when examined closer. As pressure/ie game of importance increases near end of season his performance declines.
Incredibly, those of us, and we were quite a few, screaming for this to be done earlier, may not have been all wrong. Also, those of us who were laughed at when they said this team would be better if Graves could play hockey or be scratched, may not have been wrong. But the question is, where where all the experts whose job it is to see these things? Were they starring in a remake of See No Evil Hear No Evil? Maybe they’ll do better than Pryor and Wilder there, since hockey is not their strong suit. P. S.… Read more »
What a bunch of unsubstantiated BS. I saw a look. Wow.
Ned is back up goalie. Anyone that thinks otherwise hasn’t looked at one bit of data.
Who is Nedeljkovic? 6’ 0” goalie who could not beat out Frederik Andersen or Antti Raanta who are viewed as a weak spot on the Carolina Hurricanes. Ned was Carolina’s second-round pick in 2014. The Canes are one of the best run teams in the league since Tom Dundon took over as owner. The Canes obviously didn’t see Ned as a starter and traded him to Detroit for a third-round pick for the 2022/2023 season. I lived in Raleigh until last summer. Here is what was written about the Canes trading Ned. “It seems that the Hurricanes’ front office was… Read more »
Why bother talking sense? Don’t forget…. You are talking to a fan base who wore foam moose antlers.
MOOOOOOOSE!
Yup, and we’re pretty much in the same situation with Jarry, only we gave him more money, so what’s your point?
Or like Pittsburgh did with Jarry. Two goaltenders with virtually identical statistics except in win loss category.
What data? Are you saying that nobody should be allowed a shot and earn a spot after some poor performances? You’re saying you’re marked for life and there are no second chances? So Jarry is No. 1 no matter how bad he plays? You know, I certainly hope medicine doesn’t work that way.
I’m not saying Ned is the answer – what I am saying is that Jarry most certainly is not.
5 GA and .844 save pct for your future goalie.
What brilliant people think that’s good?
Sending a message to Jarry was so much more satisfying then having a chance to beat Boston by having him start.
Jarry has always been a back up goalie, not a starter. Maybe he’ll be better in 2 or 3 more seasons?