Riding Hot Hand? Blomqvist Starting Over Jarry in Toronto

Pittsburgh Penguins rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist will make his second straight start when the team plays Saturday against the Maple Leafs in Toronto, getting the nod over veteran Tristan Jarry.

It would seem to be a case of riding the hot hand. Jarry was in net for the season opener, a 6-0 loss at home against the New York Rangers. With back-to-back games, Blomqvist made his NHL debut Thursday at Detroit and made 29 saves in the Penguins’ 6-3 win that evened their record at 1-1-0.

“He was really poised,” Penguins team captain Sidney Crosby said after Saturday’s morning skate. “They came really hard and had some really good chances — power play, even strength — and he made some really good saves for us. Just how comfortable and confident he looked … he looked really good.”

Blomqvist, 22 and a second-round pick by the Penguins in 2020, was considered to be knocking on the door in terms of being ready for the NHL. That got accelerated when Alex Nedeljkovic got hurt in a preseason game. Nedeljkovic has resumed skating, but it looks as if it will remain a tandem of Blomqvist and Jarry for now.

Nedeljkovic has been listed as week to week. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Nedeljkovic “is making progress. His status hasn’t changed.”

Sullivan admitted that Blomqvist’s performance Thursday “had an impact” on how the Penguins are handling the goalie assignments on the road trip, which concludes Monday in Montreal.

“He’s a very good goalie,” Sullivan said in confirming that Blomqvist will start in Toronto. “He’s athletic. He makes a lot of saves.”

Jarry, 29, is a former All-Star. He signed a five-year contract July 1, 2023, but he still seems to be proving himself as the bona fide go-to goalie for the Penguins. He got replaced by Nedeljkovic down the stretch last season.