Penguins, Tristan Jarry outduel Alex Nedeljkovic, Sharks

Seth Rorabaugh
Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 12:36 a.m. | Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 12:36 a.m.

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Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry makes a save in the second period against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Justin Brazeau (16) looks for the puck between San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (33) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) is congratulated by defenseman Kris Letang (58) after scoring against the San Jose Sharks during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea (5) skates with the puck against San Jose Sharks center Ty Dellandrea (10) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Jose Sharks left wing Jeff Skinner (53) skates with the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (17) reaches for the puck against San Jose Sharks defenseman Nick Leddy (4) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

During the previous two seasons, Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljovic competed with one another to be the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top goaltender.

On Saturday, they simply competed.

Jarry made 31 saves for the Penguins in a 3-0 win against San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The result lifted Jarry’s record to 2-1-0.

It was Jarry’s first shutout of the season and the 22nd of his career, all with the Penguins. He moved into a tie for second place all-time in franchise history with Hockey Hall of Fame enshrinee Tom Barrasso. Marc-Andre Fleury is first with 44.

Nedeljkovic, whom the Penguins traded to the Sharks in exchange for a 2028 third-round draft pick on July 1, stopped 24 of 26 shots as his mark slipped to 0-2-1.

“It’s a tough business when you lose someone like that,” Jarry said to reporters in San Jose via audio provided by the team’s media relations department. “To see him on the other side and play against him, it was special tonight.”

Following a scoreless first period, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby collected his third goal of the season 7:35 into the second frame.

Corralling a loose puck in the left corner of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Rickard Rakell curled around to the near point, then fed a cross-ice pass to the right point for defenseman Kris Letang. Advancing up the wall, Letang snapped a wrister toward the cage. Despite sound positioning to the right of the crease by Sharks rookie defenseman Vincent Iorio, Crosby was able to deflect the puck with his stick past Nedeljkovic’s glove on the near side. Letang and Rakell had assists.

Sidney Crosby opens the scoring with a nice deflection ???? pic.twitter.com/ld2BkTMJ7X

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 19, 2025

Penguins forward Anthony Mantha scored his second goal at 7:02 of the third period.

Lugging the puck through the neutral zone, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin gained the offensive blue line at the center point, then offloaded it to the left wing for linemate Justin Brazeau. Dashing past Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini and into the left circle, Brazeau twisted Sharks defenseman Nick Leddy around in the slot, then fed a clever backhand pass to the lower right hashmark where Mantha swept in a forehand shot against the grain to the far side past the blocker of a scrambling Nedeljkovic. Brazeau and Malkin merited assists.

Anthony Mantha - Pittsburgh Penguins (2) pic.twitter.com/VOZHCrO1ld

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 19, 2025

Malkin capped the scoring at 19:38 of the final frame with his second goal on an empty net off assists from Crosby and former Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson.

#Penguins 3 @ #Sharks 0 [P3-0:22]:

Goal: Evgeni Malkin (2)
80' Snipe Empty-Net

Assists: S.Crosby (4), E.Karlsson (3)#LetsGoPens #TheFutureIsTeal #NHL pic.twitter.com/BwyweCXgWX

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) October 19, 2025

The Penguins finished their three-game road trip through California with a 2-1-0 mark and improved to 4-2-0 for the season.

“Every game has been different,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “But I think that we’re seeing some of that foundation being built of what we want to continue to build on.”

Notes:

• Jarry’s last shutout came during a 5-0 home win against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 8. He made 26 saves in that victory.

• The Penguins’ last shutout of the Sharks came in a 5-0 road win on Nov. 5, 2016. Goaltender Matt Murray made 32 saves in the victory.

• Rakell (185 points) surpassed forward James Neal (184) for 46th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Karlsson (112 points) surpassed defenseman Mario Faubert (111) for 82nd place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Malkin (1,355 points) surpassed forwards Brendan Shanahan (1,354) and Guy Lafleur (1,353) for 28th place on the NHL’s career scoring list.

• Before Saturday, Nedeljkovic’s last game against the Penguins came as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. In a 7-4 home win at Little Caesars Arena on March 28, 2023, Nedeljkovic made 35 saves on 39 shots.

• In 76 career games with the Penguins, Nedeljkovic had a 32-22-12 record.

• Penguins defensemen Matt Dumba and Connor Clifton as well as forward Philip Tomasino were healthy scratches.

• Former Penguins forward Ryan Reaves was a healthy scratch for the Sharks.

Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.