'Get back to the basics': Penguins' goaltending struggles continue

It was time for Andy Chiodo to drop his gloves.

To be clear, the time was 11:43 a.m., approximately 17 minutes before the Pittsburgh Penguins formally opened their practice Wednesday in Cranberry.

And the goaltending coach’s gloves were on the ice.

Specifically, they were placed just above the hashmarks in the west end of the main rink of UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. A handful of skaters — forwards Kevin Hayes and Boko Imama as well as defensemen Vladislav Kolyachonok and Ryan Shea — were instructed to take pucks wide to the outside of the gloves and either shoot or pass to their fellow attacker.

Goaltenders Alex Nedeljkovic and Joel Blomqvist responded to either choice, relying on and refining the hiccup-quick reflexes of their demanding position.

It wasn’t a drill that was all that out of the ordinary against the context of a regular season that lasts upwards of seven months. Goaltenders are routinely put through their paces in practice between October and April to maintain their form.

“Just a foundational thing,” Nedeljkovic said. “Making little adjustments as they go from glove to glove. It was just a little warm-up thing. Just something to get back to the basics.”

In basic terms, the Penguins need their goaltenders to play better than what has largely been offered this season by the three men in net, including Tristan Jarry, primarily exiled to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League since mid-January.

Through Tuesday, the Penguins have a goals-against average of 3.58, 31st-best in the 32-team NHL.

To be certain, the offense the Penguins have allowed isn’t strictly the fault of the goaltenders. The team has allowed 30.2 shots per game, fifth-most in the league.

But considering the Penguins have allowed 19 goals in the past three games — while outshooting the opposition 96-84 — it’s accurate to state Nedeljkovic and Blomqvist have not been sharp as of late.

“Obviously, the results could be better, for sure,” said Blomqvist, a rookie with a 3-9-0 record. “It’s a good league. I’m just learning all the time and trying to get better from each opportunity that I get.”

Appetizing results have been hard to find with the Penguins goaltenders this season. Blomqvist — who spent two months with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton between mid-November and mid-January — has not won an NHL contest since Nov. 8.

Nedeljkovic is the Penguins’ only goaltender to record a win since the calendar flipped to 2025. But even with that distinction, the figures aren’t all that impressive. Since Jan. 1, he has appeared in 13 games and has a 6-5-2 record, a 3.14 GAA and .897 save percentage (and the team’s only shutout this season, a 3-0 home win against the Nashville Predators on Feb. 1).

But as of late, Nedeljkovic has been perforated for 11 goals on 51 shots in his past two games, including a 6-1 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

As for Jarry, his struggles were so severe, Penguins management has essentially kicked the can down the road in trying to figure out what to do with his ample contract that carries an average annual value of $5.375 million through 2028.

All of this has happened under Chiodo’s watch.

A request to speak with Chiodo on Wednesday was declined by a team spokesperson. But one of his pupils spoke up on Chiodo’s behalf in a hearty fashion.

“He’s doing what he’s got to do and what he thinks is right,” Nedeljkovic said. “We looked at some positive stuff. We looked at some just basic clips. It’s not like it’s not there. There was some good last night. We’re not far off. But that’s the thing at this level, you don’t need to be far off for it to look pretty bad. One inch is the difference between a 3-1, 4-1 game and 6-1. …. It’s all inches. Just little inches that add up.

“The coaches get a lot of heat. They’re not the ones out there that are executing. When stuff goes wrong, it’s usually just because of a lack of execution or a lack of attention to detail on our part. It’s their job to give us the tools to help us succeed. But if we’re not utilizing those tools, if we’re not doing our jobs, then that blame falls on us. The coaches have done a great job of putting us in positions to have success. Now, it’s just on us to go out there and execute the game plan.”

The plan in net for Thursday’s rematch with the Flyers remains to be seen. The Penguins rarely announce their starting goaltender until the day of the game.

In the meantime, Chiodo, Nedeljkovic and Blomqvist have plans in place aimed at getting better.

“You just try to remember it’s an easy game,” Nedeljkovic said. “It’s simple. You do the things that make you successful. Usually, it’s those little fundamental things. If we do those well and just trust it, the rest will take care of itself.”

Notes: Penguins forward Matt Nieto was placed on waivers. … Forward Michael Bunting was withheld from practice after “not feeling well,” according to coach Mike Sullivan. … Imama skated in a full-contact fashion. Currently designated to injured reserve, Imama has missed the past four games with an undisclosed injury.