The Pittsburgh Penguins have a surprising start to the season, boasting an 8-4-2 record. However, they’ve stumbled recently, dropping two straight games. A 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday after blowing a 3-0 lead and a 5-2 defeat to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Despite those losses, the Penguins still sit second in the Metropolitan Division.
It’s a strong turnaround for a team that missed the playoffs last season, finishing near the bottom of the division.
Which Penguins Duo Failed to Impress Insider Frank Seravalli?
During his Insider Notebook segment, NHL insider Frank Seravalli weighed in on Pittsburgh’s hot start and raised doubts about whether it’s sustainable.
He questioned if the Penguins’ early success is truly the real deal or just an early-season illusion, pointing to goaltenders Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs as his main concern. “And the reason for that is I don’t know that Arthur Silovs and Tristan Jarry in net can continue to play as well as they have all season long,” Seravalli said.
Seravalli said their combined .921 save percentage entering the weekend is impressive, but difficult to maintain over a full season.
He compared it to when goalie Connor Hellebuyck is at his best, with a .925 to .926 range, suggesting it’s unrealistic to expect Jarry and Silovs, both of whom faced career uncertainty not long ago, to sustain that pace.
Tristan Jarry, who was once considered a buyout candidate, is in the third year of his five-year, $26.9 million deal. Silovs, acquired from Vancouver in July, is in the final year of his two-year, $1.7 million contract after losing the Canucks’ trust last season.
Through seven starts each, Jarry has posted a 2.60 GAA and .911 save percentage, while Silovs sits at 2.66 GAA and .913 save percentage.
Seravalli warned that those numbers could dip soon, potentially grounding the Penguins’ strong start. “Those types of things can happen over the first month of a season, but can they sustain that level of goalending to keep up? I don’t think they defend nearly well enough.” Seravalli said. “The numbers would indicate that that’s true. At some point, is there a downturn in the goaltending here that sees the Pittsburgh Penguins sort of slowly come back to earth?
Frank Seravalli added that while early-season surprises are common and every year a handful of unexpected teams make the playoffs, Pittsburgh’s defensive play may not be strong enough to support elite goaltending numbers for long.
The Pittsburgh Penguins next host the Washington Capitals on Thursday.