Tim Benz: Ending of Penguins’ point streak illustrates different standards for team's goalies

Throughout the Pittsburgh Penguins’ recently concluded 10-game point streak with backup goalie Alex Nedeljkovic in net, there was a different standard of evaluation for him as opposed to the franchise’s perceived No. 1 netminder, Tristan Jarry.

Nedeljkovic backstopped the Pens to a 7-0-3 record in that span, largely by following the “just win, baby” formula. Simply allow one fewer goal than the guy in the other net, whether the game was 6-5 or 2-1.

For the most part in those 10 starts, the 28-year-old did exactly that. Or at least on nights when he didn’t, he got the team a point by getting to overtime.

For the past three weeks, Pittsburgh’s hockey fans have showered him with praise for helping the team earn points — at least up until he was pulled in the second period of Saturday’s 6-4 loss to the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena.

Despite being a two-time All-Star, that trait is something Jarry has yet to develop a knack for doing, even on nights when he plays well overall.

Especially in the playoffs.

As a result, Jarry has never completely won over the fanbase. He got a new contract from the Penguins this offseason, even though he has never forged a reputation of being a big-game winner or a big-save maker. His two predecessors, Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury, were exactly that, to the tune of three Stanley Cups and four Eastern Conference championships.

During the 10-game point streak, Nedeljkovic’s save percentage was .905. Entering Saturday’s game (his first appearance since March 24), Jarry’s for the season was nearly identical at .903. Four of those 10 outcomes for Nedeljkovic were overtime losses (vs. Colorado, Columbus and Toronto) or games in which the Pens gave away an overtime point to the opposition (Detroit on April 11) — all of which featured a Pens’ lead at some time.

Four times during the streak with Nedeljkovic in net, the Penguins saw a multi-goal lead in the third period slip away. Three times, those games ended up with the Pens leaving an overtime point on the table. The other was a point gifted to Detroit, which is vying for a playoff spot as well.

During the club’s last three games before the Boston defeat, Nedeljkovic was 2-0-1. But his save percentage during that time was .862, and his goals against average was 4.00.

Yet Nedeljkovic was praised for his role in keeping the streak alive. If Jarry had been the goalie with those exact numbers and results, the narrative would’ve been that the team was winning despite some shaky play from him and that we should all doubt his ability to win in the playoffs if the Pens get there.

Which we still should until proven otherwise.

More sports

• First Call: As Steelers talk swirls, Brandon Aiyuk's agent denies trade request story; Tee Higgins' future in Cincy
• Madden Monday: Loss to Boston was 'chickens coming home to roost' for flawed Penguins team
• NFL Draft preview: With QBs in place, Steelers can watch drama play out in 1st round

I’m not here to advocate for Jarry or attempt to tear down what Nedeljkovic did. He was an important part of Pittsburgh’s success. He deserves high praise for how he kept the team in a game against New Jersey that could have easily been a 5-1 score after two periods. Yet his team ended up winning 6-3. He turned in clutch road starts in Washington and New York to beat the Capitals and Rangers while allowing just three total goals in those two contests.

I’m simply saying we applied totally different criteria of criticism for his game than we ever would’ve for Jarry under the same circumstances. Jarry is always portrayed as the starter that has never led to much team success yet finagled his way into a $26.8 million contract this offseason to stay here for another five years.

Nedeljkovic is the fun, happy-go-lucky backup who answered the bell and battled to do his best. He’s a good story.

However, any time a goalie is constantly described as a “battler,” to me, that is like describing a quarterback as a “gamer.” In other words, a tough, mentally sharp, hard worker who wins more often than loses based on savvy, moxie and guile.

Like, you know, Kenny Pickett during his rookie season. A lot of people talked about how much of a “gamer” he was and how hard he “battled” in the fourth quarter of close games.

“Gamer” and “battler” are phrases we use when the player in question doesn’t really have any other identifiable physical qualities that we can use to describe why and how they are winning.

We all knew a game like the one against Boston was coming at some point for Nedeljkovic. A natural correction was going to occur. It’s a lot like Mason Rudolph emerging from third string on the depth chart to save the season for the Steelers, only to have a return-to-average performance against the Buffalo Bills in Round 1 of the playoffs.

Maybe fatigue was an issue for Nedeljkovic, making his 11th straight start against Boston. But he wasn’t willing to use that as an excuse.

“No. I actually thought I felt fine today,” Nedeljkovic said. “I felt better than I did Thursday night (against Detroit). I thought it was a pretty good first period. We played pretty well. We didn’t give them much. I don’t really know how to explain that one.”

After the loss to Boston, Sullivan insisted that the team had an eye out for signs of lagging energy from Nedeljkovic, but they weren’t aware of any.

“It’s not something that we’re oblivious to,” Sullivan said. “He has reassured us that he feels good and he has energy. He’s a guy that is in incredible shape because he works as hard as he does. We feel as though he’s been giving us the opportunity to win games and is deserving of the net. That’s why we made those decisions that go with him.”

Sullivan’s decision now is a difficult one going into Monday’s game at home against Nashville: Go back to Nedeljkovic even though the carriage has turned back into a pumpkin or start Jarry even though he looked rusty, allowing two goals on 12 shots, including the first one he faced after a puck handling miscue with Erik Karlsson.

I’d go with Jarry, but there doesn’t appear to be a correct answer. That illustrates how tenuous the Penguins’ place in the playoff landscape was even after 10 straight games with a point.

It also says a lot more about how both goalies and the entire team performed up until late March than it does about the desperate predicament they are in now, sitting in 11th place with two games left to play.