Penguins Slapshots: Crosby Teases Fleury, What Changed for Jarry

ST. PAUL, Minn. — It was a tale of two goaltenders followed by some perfect Bryan Rust quotes.

Nearly two months since Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry last started an NHL game, he was a blown penalty call away from a shutout win. On the other side of the ice, Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was playing his final game against the team that drafted him, developed him, for whom he won three Stanley Cups, and his original hockey home.

Jarry won.

Make no mistake, the Penguins were not at their best Sunday, but Jarry was.

“I love that sh*t,” Penguins winger Bryan Rust commented on Jarry’s standout performance.

On the other end of the ice was the other end of the hockey spectrum. 39-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury started his final game against the Penguins as his illustrious 20-year career concludes this season.

And Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby couldn’t stop smiling.

Crosby was proud of himself after beating Fleury with a shoveled rebound putback and then scoring an empty net goal to seal the Penguins’ 3-1 win at Xcel Energy Center.

Following the game, Crosby’s hockey memory and competitiveness were on display as he was able to quickly recount each of his three career goals on Fleury.

“Yeah, that’s three. I scored one on him in Vegas when he was there. One on him last year here, and (today) was my third,” Crosby said. “Given that was my last game against him, I will remind him of that one many times.”

For his part, Fleury smirked after the game and remarked that Crosby still reminds him of the goal Crosby scored against him in juniors. So, yes, you can expect Crosby to hold Sunday’s goal over Fleury for another 20 years.

As a Penguins game, it broke the recent script of the team playing well and losing. This time, they were being outshot significantly deep into the second period but held the lead with solid goaltending and enough defense to keep Minnesota contained.

While Crosby couldn’t hide his smile after beating his friend and earning bragging rights, the player who perfectly encapsulated many of the Penguins storylines Sunday was Rust.

When asked about Jarry’s performance, rust didn’t worry about the TV camera’s present and said what he felt, including his naughty word above.

“He was awesome tonight, and he’s been through a lot. Obviously he’s come right back up here. Great attitude. Came in and had a hell of a game. I think that shows how high character he is, and I couldn’t be happier.”

His devilish grin indicated he greatly enjoyed the battle of the future Hall of Famers, to which he had a front row seat.  He delivered a few quotes that well fit that situation, and he also had some praise for coach Mike Sullivan who became the first American born coach to reach 400 wins with one team.

“I think he just knows which buttons to push at what time, when to be hard on guys, when to be more a little bit easier, and just have more teaching moments–and his ability to find which time calls for which I think makes him such a good coach,” said Rust.

Tristan Jarry

The Penguins would have been in dire straits if not for Jarry’s stellar performance. Jarry stopped 30 of 31 shots and was beaten only a controversial four-on-one, which resulted from a non-call at center ice against Penguins defenseman Conor Timmins.

Teammates and coaches praised Jarry not just for the game but also for his perseverance through the tribulations of being waived and battling back.

The Penguins coach was quite happy to praise Jarry, too.

“So thrilled for him. This has been a tough road for him, and I thought he was terrific all night long. He was big in the net. He looked confident. And that’s what he’s capable of,” Sullivan said. “He’s a solid NHL goaltender when he plays up to his capabilities … this year hasn’t gone the way that any of us would have wanted, but him in particular. I thought this was a huge step in the right direction for him, given an opportunity to get a fresh start here, and this was a great start for him.”

Since his recall, Jarry has had a different, calm, but honest demeanor. He had become somewhat combative with Pittsburgh media, even in good times, and often intentionally answered questions in the most mundane cliches. There was also legitimate criticism that bad goals were categorized as “us” or “we” instead of taking ownership of the slips.

This week, his tone and his presentation seemed remarkably different. He even admitted to being nervous for his first game back.

“Obviously, not having played an NHL game for a month and a half, you’re … you’re nervous. You have those nerves. You have that excitement. I think anyone would, no matter the circumstance,” Jarry said. “So I think it’s just having that feeling and using that feeling. And I think using it in a good way. I think it brings a lot of energy to my game.

If you want an in-person perception, Jarry got the message from all of the criticism he received, internally about his game and externally, too. He surely was stung by it during his time in Pittsburgh and sometimes treated the media like an annoyance. Sure, we can be, but we also represent you. He was never mean or terse, but he didn’t communicate very well and often spoke in vague cliches that avoided questions and, worse, accountability.

Penguins people told us about the different Jarry that they knew—they all very much like him, like, really like him.

After the humbling experience, Jarry just seems more human. Even though we asked the same questions, there was a different tone and vibe.

Thursday in Las Vegas, he flatly admitted his demotion was his fault and talked openly about working on his game.  That sort of accountability was refreshing to hear, probably for teammates, too.

Hey, the race isn’t about the last lap, it’s about the next lap. No one knows if Jarry can seize his new opportunity, but he seems changed by the past year which included staring down a defenseman after a mistake (which surely seemed to be a factor in his benching for the final dozen games last season), and brusque demeanor.

Ownership of his situation can only help.