Kyle Dubas drops truth bomb on Penguins' goaltending conundrum

10/24/2024 10:39 AM

The goaltending struggles for the Pittsburgh Penguins so far this season have been the center of attention for many who follow the team, but general manager Kyle Dubas made it clear that the team has to play better defense in front of them, in addition to one of Alex Nedeljkovic, Tristan Jarry and Joel Blomqvist staking their claim to the starting role.

“I think there aren’t a ton of the goals that you look at and put on the goalie, I think we need to be a lot better defensively, and I know that’s been the major focus of the coaching staff,” Kyle Dubas said, via SportsNet Pittsburgh. “After the game last night and the end of the practice here today, I think if you’re a goaltender in our group right now, whether it’s Alex (Nedeljkovic), Tristan (Jarry), or Joel (Blomqvist), the opportunity is immense because no one has really grabbed the ball and started to run with it and we need two of them to do so.”

GM Kyle Dubas talks the goalie carousel with @JG_PxP on Penguins Gameplan:

"It's a competition, and it's a massive opportunity… one of them has to step up and run and grab it."#LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/bPIl4Hm7Ob

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 23, 2024

The Penguins are not necessarily off to a disastrous start at 3-4-1, but the defensive and goaltending issues remain prominent. If Pittsburgh wants to return to the playoffs after missing out the last two years, some kind of solution needs to be found on both fronts

Kyle Dubas on Penguins’ goaltending options

The Penguins have an experienced option with Jarry, but he has not performed well at all. Dubas is still hopeful that two of the three options at least will step up enough to help solidify the position.

“Tristan, obviously he didn’t dress last night. I think everyone’s been aware of the struggles that he’s had, and he’s owned them publicly as well and we need to do right by getting him on the right track for better or worse,” Dubas said. “This does happen with goalies in the league that go on to find their way back and have very successful, long careers. It’s how they handle this stretch that will define it, and that’s what we’re looking forward to from Tristan. Joel I think is a younger guy has come in, he’s had some very good nights that have given us a chance to win, and now Alex is back as well, so it’s a competition and it’s a massive opportunity. These guys, their whole lives as goalies have looked for this chance, so we have to do a better job in front of them, there’s no doubt, and that’ll be on us to get there here in short order, and one of them has to step up and run and grab it, and I expect that one or two of them will.”

The Penguins will play their next game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, another team that has struggled but also has a lot of firepower offensively.

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