The Pittsburgh Penguins were in Columbus on Thursday night to kick off their final home-and-home series of the pre-season, rallying from a 1-0 deficit to pick a 3-1 win thanks to goals from Valtteri Puustinen, Jonathan Gruden, and Kevin Hayes.
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Once again, Tristan Jarry played the entirety of the contest, making 33 saves for first-star honors in the visitor’s arena.
These two clubs will meet again tonight at PPG Paints Arena. Each lineup is expected to be different, with Sidney Crosby and company drawing back in for the pre-season finale.
Here are a few takeaways from the first game of the back-to-back.
Jonathan Gruden Making a Case For Bottom-Six Call-Up
Jonathan Gruden is a regular in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lineup, appearing in 208 games with 96 points in four seasons of action. On Thursday night, he tallied his first pre-season goal, which ended up as the game-winner, burying a Joona Koppanen feed in the second period.
Skating a pre-season high of 11:04, Gruden has been buzzing in each of his last two games. He’s become more noticeable on the ice with each passing period, whether getting a couple of shots on goal or in the spot to grab a rebound.
Even though Gruden will be sent back to the AHL to begin the season, he’s making a case to return to the show and skate in more than 13 games like last season.
Who’s Next After Tristan Jarry?
The undisputed number one goalie, Tristan Jarry, has now played back-to-back contests, giving up three goals over the last six periods. He has no competition for ice time with Alex Nedeljkovic on the shelf to begin the regular season.
Jarry on Blomqvist: “He’s been awesome. He’s a great goalie, and we’re obviously excited. It’s never good when someone goes down, but I think Joel’s ready.”
The Penguins’ goalie depth is getting tested early with Nedeljkovic injured. Read more: pic.twitter.com/PWGYXnKaYM
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 2, 2024
Jarry appears ready for meaningful games, thanks to a .943 SV% in his past two appearances. But he’s not scheduled to be dressed in the second game against the Blue Jackets tonight, so who will play?
Filip Larsson has been the backup for the past two games, while Joel Blomqvist hasn’t dressed since picking up a 5-1 win on Monday, despite posting a .952 SV% in relief.
So, with an all-Swedish duo in the pre-season finale, will Larsson possibly start and share time with Blomqvist, or will it be the other way around? Either way, the Penguins will need a solid option behind Jarry on Opening Night, so who will have one last audition to prove they belong?
Penguins Have Played Different Styles With Various Lineups
There was no Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Erik Karlsson on Thursday. The team secured a 3-1 win after falling behind 1-0 in the first period.
Rutger McGroarty looked good and came close to scoring his first pre-season goal but couldn’t lift the puck over an outstretched Elvis Merzlikins. Meanwhile, Kevin Hayes scored into an empty net, providing depth scoring for which he was brought in.
© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Overall, the Penguins stayed out of the penalty box, getting called for just two infractions, a pre-season low. Moreover, they didn’t connect on their one power play opportunity, a recurring theme over the past few seasons.
Although Pittsburgh pieced together a three-goal comeback, they were outshot 34-24 despite dominating in the face-off circle 56.9% to 43.1%. The game felt slow-paced and wasn’t overall engaging.
Whether it was the opponent or the construction of the lineup, without the star power, the Penguins seem to play a quieter game, which could be the exact opposite of what’s to come in the pre-season finale.
No matter whose name is on tonight’s roster card, Pittsburgh is 3-3 through six games and could use a win to finish the pre-season on a high note.
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