Saturday was not a great homecoming for ex-Penguin goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
But it was a terrific night for current Pens netminder Tristan Jarry.
Jarry didn’t play awesome. As with his prior outing, Tuesday’s 6-2 win at Tampa Bay, Jarry’s performance was solid but barely connected to the result.
Against Chicago, Jarry made 18 saves in a 5-2 victory.
But Jarry’s optics were excellent.
Fleury got chased from his net in under 12 minutes, allowing four goals on 10 shots.
He allowed a goal at the 15-second mark. It wasn’t good. Nor was the second goal at 5:33.
That’s no knock on Fleury. He has nothing to prove to Penguins fans.
But Fleury’s early exit killed the lovefest, especially when he started smashing his stick against a wall after leaving the ice.
Fleury may have more nights like this in his future. Chicago’s defense is woeful. The Penguins had one odd-man rush after another. It was like a jailbreak.
Imagine the fan reaction (and on Twitter) if Fleury excels and Jarry sucks.
So, it was a good night for Jarry even if he didn’t have a lot to do with it.
Jarry needs to be force-fed confidence, and everybody connected needs force-fed confidence in Jarry. Saturday provided a heaping helping.
Thumbnail via Getty Images.