Penguins Notes: Reasons for Jarry’s New Look Not So Black&White

Pittsburgh Penguins No. 1 goaltender Tristan Jarry has a different look at training camp. If you miss seeing him in his black pads and gloves, well, don’t blame him.

He has gone with an all-white look. It’s not because he thinks the puck plays better off that color. Or that he was looking to go with something in an opposite color. Think more New York Yankees and their policy against facial hair.

“Not my decision,” Jarry said Friday. “Management, they wanted us to wear white, so (the goalies) are all wearing white.”

Asked if he got an explanation from first-year general manager Kyle Dubas or anyone else in management about the mandate, Jarry said simply, “No.”

This season’s mask also is different.

“Monster trucks,” Jarry said of the design theme, and again he had little input. “The painter picked that. His little boy likes monster trucks, so that’s what I went with.”

At least no one is going to tell hockey players they can’t have facial hair. Right?

When is Competition Healthy?

If Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has said it once, he has said it dozens of times – the team has a vast amount of healthy competition this preseason.

With a fair amount of turnover among many spots in the lineup, there are multiple players – returnees, youngsters, free agent signees, guys on professional tryout contracts, you name it – vying for each open spot.

But what makes it healthy competition and not down-and-dirty, sharp-elbows, anything-goes competition?

Well, the answer seems to be that that’s just not how hockey players tick.

“It’s what we sign up for in pro sports,” Sullivan said. “Regardless of who you are, there’s always going to be players that are emerging, young players that come into the league, that are going to challenge you for spots. … It’s ultracompetitive.”

But not nasty, even though a lot of the players involved in that competition are new to each other.

“It’s always healthy,” said winger Vinnie Hinostroza, a free agent signee over the summer who has been filling in for Jake Guentzel on the top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust the first couple days of camp.

“I think everyone has the same goal here. … Everyone’s used to it. It’s our job.”

Winger Alex Nylander, who spent the past two seasons mostly with the Penguins’ top farm team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, is trying to break through the NHL level.

“It’s a huge competition at this camp, and you know it, but all the guys are good buddies,” Nylander said. “It’s very healthy.”

Injury Brigade the Same

The same five injured players who skated before the camp practices Thursday – Guentzel. Owen Pickering, Will Butcher, Raivis Ansons and Nolan Collins – did so again Friday.

The group was on the ice for about 45 minutes.