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WILKES-BARRE — Last season after Matt Murray was called up to Pittsburgh for good in late February, Tristan Jarry was pressed into a heavy workload as a rookie for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
With Murray gone, Jarry started 15 of the next 17 games, including a run of 11 consecutive starts. He said the workload shift was an adjustment, but it helped prepare him for his current role as the starting netminder this season.
“Last year it was different for me going from the backup spot to playing every game consecutively,” Jarry said. “I had to adapt quickly, and it taught me how hard you have to work and the shape you have to be in to handle that.”
This season Jarry has started 16 of the team’s first 24 games, and he is tied for second in the AHL with 10 wins. Jarry also has a respectable 2.12 goals against average and a .921 save percentage, proving the adjustment to being a starter has been a little bit easier this season.
“It’s fun,” Jarry said of being handed a heavy workload. “That’s why everyone plays the game.
“But I want to be consistent with it and string together good games. That will help me in the long run.”
Head coach Clark Donatelli hasn’t been afraid to give Jarry two or three consecutive starts or even play him on back-to-back nights. Backup Casey DeSmith has proven equally dependable filling in, and Donatelli said he’ll stick with the formula until something changes.
“Until it falters,” Donatelli said. “Right now (Jarry) is getting double duty and we like what we see. He’s focused. His confidence is there.”
Eye on Hartford
The Penguins have beaten the Hartford Wolf Pack in two meetings this season and have outscored them 10-3. The Wolf Pack is in last place in the Atlantic Division and have allowed a league-high 94 goals.
But that doesn’t mean the Penguins are taking them for granted when they face the Wolf Pack in Hartford on Wednesday.
“You can’t look at their record. They’re a good team and they play us hard,” Donatelli said. “That’s the way we look at it.”
Busy stretch
The Penguins are in the middle of a stretch of six games in nine days, winning two of the first three. Donatelli said his players are holding up well with three more games before Christmas break on Sunday.
“It can be tough mentally, and it is a tough stretch, but right now our mindset is right and the guys are rejuvenated,” he said.
Double the toughness
With Tom Sestito down from Pittsburgh and Patrick McGrath on the roster, Donatelli has two players to handle the physical element every night.
“You can really change the lineup if you put both of them in,” he said. “It’s good to have those options.”
Injury news
Carter Rowney may not return before the Christmas break and is considered week-to-week.
