Jarry OUT Week-to-Week with LBI, Sullivan Confirms

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without starting goalie Tristan Jarry for weeks. Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed the swirling rumors on Saturday morning before the Penguins faced the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

However, Sullivan did not confirm rumors regarding the specific nature of the injury.

“The only information that I have right now is that he is out with a lower-body injury and his status is week-to-week,” Sullivan said.

Jarry, 26, has been a pillar of the Penguins season. Despite missing Sidney Crosby for the first six weeks of the season and Evgeni Malkin for several months, Jarry posted a season worthy of an All-Star selection. A recent dip dropped Jarry’s save percentage to a season-low .919, but he snapped a personal five-game losing streak with the win over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

This season, Tristan Jarry is 34-18-6.

The playoffs are set to begin on May 2.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are battling the Washington Capitals for third place in the Metro Division and Boston for the top wild-card spot if Washington wins the battle. The Penguins lead Washington by five points, but Washington has two games in hand. The Penguins lead Boston by two points, but Boston also has two games in hand.

On Thursday, the Penguins clinched their 16th consecutive Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance.

Casey DeSmith will assume the starting duties in Jarry’s absence.

“His game has really evolved over the course of the season. I think since the turn of the calendar year, he’s put really solid hockey together for us,” Sullivan said. “He’s given us a chance to win each and every night.”

DeSmith, 30, is 8-4-5 this season with a .906 save percentage and 2.94 GAA. Since February, DeSmith has allowed only 25 goals in 11 starts. He has a .919 save percentage in his last 11 starts. DeSmith has never started a playoff game and was unavailable due to injury in the Penguins’ Round One loss to the Islanders last season.

The Penguins recalled Louis Domingue on an emergency basis to be the backup. Domingue was stellar in his only NHL start this season. He stopped 40 of 41 shots in an overtime win over the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 15. With some irony, Domingue was scheduled to make a second consecutive start two days later but suffered a broken bone in his foot. That injury occurred in the morning skate.

In a brutally honest interview in training camp, Domingue offered great praise for first-year Pittsburgh Penguins goalie coach Andy Chiodo. Domingue admitted his motivation and game had slipped due begin shuffled around the NHL and AHL over the past two seasons, but Chiodo reignited Domingue’s passion. Louis Domingue was ready for another NHL chance.

Domingue has helped the WBS Penguins into a playoff spot. In 22 AHL starts, Domingue has a .924 save percentage. Domingue has started 141 NHL games but just one playoff game in his career.