Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry critical of own play following ugly loss to Ducks

Tristan Jarry usually has a pretty frugal economy of vocabulary on any and all subjects.

Ask the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender about a win or a loss and he usually sticks to the classics about “working hard” or “the guys in front of me did a good job.”

There isn’t much variance from that script.

But following Monday’s repugnant 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks at PPG Paints Arena — which was claimed via a short-handed breakaway goal by forward Mason McTavish in the dying seconds of regulation — Jarry cleared his throat.

Not just on Monday’s game. But his entire 2023-24 season.

“I need to be better,” Jarry said bluntly. “That’s the bottom line. The guys need a save there at the end or one of the other (goals).

“I don’t think I’ve been giving the guys enough of a chance to win every night.”

A simple gaze at his base statistics would verify Jarry’s postulate. In seven games this season, Jarry has a 2-5-0 record, a 2.84 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage.

Oddly, each of his victories has come via shutout: A 4-0 road win against the woeful Washington Capitals (19 saves) on Oct. 13 and a 4-0 home victory against the commanding Colorado Avalanche (31 saves) on Oct. 24.

Beyond that, he has had some clunkers, including a putrid performance against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday when he allowed three goals on nine shots and was pulled after only 25:28 of ice time.

Monday’s performance was considerably better. But only because he actually completed the game, making 23 saves on 27 shots.

“It’s tough,” Jarry said. “Obviously, when you’re losing games, that’s the hardest part. You never want to lose. You play the game to win.”

The Penguins haven’t been winning much, having lost five of their past six games. They now sit in last place of the Metropolitan Division with a 3-6-0 record and six points.

“I think Tristan has been like our whole team,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’ve had moments when we’ve been really good and we’ve had moments when we haven’t been.”

The team’s power play fit that description quite well Monday as it converted on two of eight chances but allowed a crippling short-handed goal in the final seconds of regulation that proved to be the winning score.

“One mistake and they score,” Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin lamenteed. “We think we scored two goals, maybe we (would) score again. But they block shots. They fight. They knew if we score, probably they (would lose). The goalie played very well. But it’s not how they play. It’s how we play. It’s a huge mistake for us.”

The Penguins’ first power-play goal since Oct. 13 opened the scoring 2:55 into regulation.

Taking a pass at the right point of the offensive zone, Malkin backpedaled to the right circle and then dished the puck above the circle, where Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson golfed a one-timer beyond the grasp of goaltender John Gibson’s blocker on the far side for his second goal of the season. Penguins forward Jake Guentzel supplied an effective screen in the process. Malkin and forward Reilly Smith, newly installed onto the top power-play unit, had assists.

The score was only the third of the season during a power-play sequence for the Penguins and snapped an 0 for 16 skid with a man advantage.

The Ducks responded with forward Jakob Silfverberg’s first goal at 8:28 of the opening period.

From low in the Penguins’ right circle, Ducks forward Max Jones chopped a bouncing puck, but his shot was blocked by the stick of Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel. The rebound bounced to the left of the crease, where Silfverberg deadened it with his left leg. As Jarry lunged to his right out of the crease, Silfverberg was able to settle a carom off the side of the cage and tucked in a forehand shot while tumbling to the ice. Jones and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov tallied assists.

Gibson, a native of Whitehall, left the game due to an undisclosed injury late in the first period.

As the Penguins moved the puck around the Ducks’ zone on a power-play opportunity, Gibson got spun around and made a stunning stick save against forward Sidney Crosby with seconds remaining in the opening frame. As the horn sounded, Gibson remained on his knees for several moments. An athletic trainer attended to Gibson, who eventually skated to the dressing room under his own power, but hunched over.

Backup Lukas Dostal replaced Gibson to open the second period.

The Ducks took their first lead at 11:51 of the middle frame when forward Frank Vatrano scored his ninth goal during a power-play sequence.

Taking the puck to the Penguins’ slot, Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler faked a slapper and then slid a forehand pass to the left circle, where Vatrano scorched Jarry’s right shoulder with a wrister. Assists went to Fowler and McTavish.

Ducks forward Ross Johnston appeared to score late in the second period at the 18:20 mark, but referee Frederick L’Ecuyer immediately signaled no goal, citing Ducks forward Sam Carrick for goaltender interference after he shoved Karlsson into Jarry.

The Ducks issued a coach’s challenge to L’Ecuyer’s ruling, which was upheld. The Ducks were given a bench minor for delay of game. Additionally, Anaheim coach Greg Cronin was assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and a game misconduct after protesting too vehemently, resulting in a five-on-three power-play opportunity for the Penguins.

L’Ecuyer was not available for comment as the NHL, unlike other sports leagues, does not allow in-game officials to speak with media.

Cronin offered his thoughts on the matter.

“We check in with Brett Ferguson, who’s the video replay guy, (and) he unequivocally says, ‘It’s not goaltender interference,’” Cronin said. “Like, it’s not even a two-second delay. Then we looked at it on the monitor at our feet and it didn’t look like it was goaltender interference. In fact, I thought Karlsson had hit the goalie. It wasn’t our guy. I was kind of shocked. Obviously, it’s a risky decision because their power play is red hot. I don’t want to give them a power play. But we felt, like with conviction, that it was a legal goal.

“I expressed that. I never really talked to the referee. I just questioned how it was not a goal. Then whatever, he interpreted my body language, I don’t know. I get hit with a (two-minute penalty) and then when it was over, I didn’t say a word to him. But he didn’t like my body language. It’s his choice. He’s the referee.”

Only 65 seconds of game time later, Malkin converted that charity into his fifth goal.

Corralling a rebound on the left half wall of the offensive zone, Karlsson surveyed his options and sent a simple forehand pass to the top of the right circle, where Malkin thunderclapped a one-timer past Dostal’s blocker on the far side. Karlsson and Crosby claimed assists.

The Penguins’ third line struck 95 seconds into the third period when forward Radim Zohorna collected his second goal.

Off a backhand feed by Zohorna in the Ducks’ right circle, Penguins forward Drew O’Connor leaned down and one-touched a wrister on net which Dostal denied. After O’Connor jabbed at the rebound, Zohorna swooped around the back of the cage and, utilizing his 6-foot-6 frame, backhanded the puck from the left of the cage behind Dostal’s right skate. O’Connor and linemate Lars Eller recorded assists.

Things were tied again, 3-3, only 96 seconds later thanks to McTavish’s fourth goal of the season.

Corralling a puck in his own left corner, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang fired a pass up the boards for Penguins forward Bryan Rust, who failed to cleanly accept the puck, allowing it to bounce to the high slot. Spinning to his right, Ducks forward Ryan Strome slipped a forehand pass to McTavish low in the left circle. Stopping the puck with his right skate, McTavish went backhand to forehand and flipped the puck past Jarry’s blocker. Strome and Mintyukov had assists.

The table was set for the Penguins to claim a victory (or at least a lead) late in the third period when they were granted another five-on-three power-play sequence after McTavish was called for tripping at the 17:41 mark and Carrick was penalized for a delay of game for putting the puck out of play.

Crosby, Guentzel, Karlsson, Malkin and forward Rickard Rakell had 1:49 of a two-man advantage to operate with and could only muster three shots and eight shot attempts. Ducks defensemen Jackson LaCombe and Ilya Lyubushkin as well as forward Adam Henrique faced the Penguins’ onslaught and turned away most of it as they combined for four blocked shots.

As McTavish emerged from the penalty box, Karlsson forced a pass from the left half wall that was intercepted by Henrique, who lunged forward in the left circle and stabbed a forehand pass to the neutral zone, springing McTavish on his breakaway.

Gliding in on net with Karlsson in hot pursuit, McTavish snapped a forehand shot past Jarry’s charbroiled glove at the 19:47 mark. Henrique had the lone assist.

“Great chance to win,” Malkin said. “But it’s our fault for sure because we were on the power play. We lost (the) game. It’s tough. Between win and lose, it’s one mistake. We should play better because the team (did) fight all night. We can’t play like this.”

Jarry agreed with that sentiment as it pertained to his own performance.

“I’ve got to get out and make a save,” Jarry said. “That’s the bottom line. That’s the biggest thing is to force it to overtime and get a point and I think we’d come out on top.”

The Penguins haven’t been on top too often this season because of a lot of factors, not just Jarry.

“Right now, we’re finding ways to lose,” Sullivan fumed. “We’ve got to find ways to win. So, do we need to make some changes? We might have to. And we’ll look at that.”

One change that would help the cause? Better play from Jarry.

“I’ve just got to keep working hard,” Jarry said. “Obviously, hard work brings you a lot of things. That’s just what I’m going to keep doing.”

Notes:

• Prior to the game, the Penguins and Ducks took to the ice for a thorough and poignant memorial in recognition of former Penguins forward Adam Johnson, who died while playing in the United Kingdom on Saturday.

• A mere 19 years into his NHL existence, Crosby set a new career high with 11 shots. His previous high was nine in 10 different games. His most recent game with nine shots happened in a 2-0 home win against the Nashville Predators on March 30.

• Malkin (1,240 points) surpassed Peter Šťastný (1,239) for 40th place on the NHL’s career scoring list.

• The Penguins’ scratches were defensemen P.O Joseph (healthy), John Ludvig (concussion) and forward Vinnie Hinostroza (healthy).

• Hinostroza and Zohorna were formally (and quietly) recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Monday morning, one day after being assigned to the AHL on Sunday in a paper transaction intended to aid the team’s daily management of the salary cap.