Jarry works over web with fellow goalie Murray to stay sharp for Penguins

Tristan Jarry is focused on helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup this season.

And a big part of that is keeping sharp during the pause in the NHL season by working with fellow goalie Matt Murray over the internet to improve details in their play.

"Matt and I have a different aspect, I guess, of the game," Jarry said Tuesday. "We see it from a different angle [from the rest of the team]. So I think just being able to use the WebEx as a tool for us has been a big thing, and being able to work with [goalie coach Mike Buckley] and work on the parts of our game that we might not have been able to during the season. I think that's been a big help for us, being able to see what we need to improve on. I think that will help us come back stronger."

The Penguins (40-23-6) are third in the Metropolitan Division, four points behind the Washington Capitals and three behind the Philadelphia Flyers.

"I think the biggest thing for me is just staying prepared and making sure that I'm able to do what I can when the season resumes," Jarry said. "We're still fighting for a Stanley Cup, and I think that's our biggest mindset moving forward. That's going to be the mindset from me and everyone on our team. We want to win the Stanley Cup."

The 24-year-old was 20-12-1 in 33 games (31 starts) in his fourth season with NHL career highs in wins, starts and games before the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He could become a restricted free agent with his two-year, $675,000 contract at the NHL level set to expire after this season. Any negotiations haven't been given much thought, Jarry said.

There's no guarantee Jarry would start the Stanley Cup Playoffs instead of Murray, who won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. Jarry was 14-4-1 playing 19 of Pittsburgh's 25 games from Nov. 22-Jan. 16. He allowed fewer than three goals in 11 of those 19 games, including a span of three shutouts in four starts from Dec. 4-12.

Since replacing injured Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo in the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 25, Jarry is 4-4-0 and has allowed at least five goals in three of four straight losses.

Murray won three of four starts to start March. Jarry started one of Pittsburgh's five games that month, allowing six goals on 36 shots in a 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 8.

Jarry said he and Murray, who also can become a restricted free agent after this season, support each other, but their internal competition also drives them.

"I think just being able to push each other and be able to be friends off the ice," Jarry said. "I think that helps when you're battling for a spot and competing every night. I think being able to push each other and have different insights, like he's always helping me. He's able to always pick ideas from my game that I think can help. I think that both improves our games as a whole."

Jarry has a 2.43 goals-against average and .921 save percentage this season; Murray is 20-11-5 with a 2.87 GAA and .899 save percentage.

"I think [being more consistent] was something that I wanted to improve on as well," Jarry said. "So I think just being able to do that at the NHL level and have a little bit of success has helped me a lot. I think it's helped me be motivated to come to the rink every day and get better and helped me practice at the highest level possible. I think it's been a lot of fun for me this year."

Jarry, Murray and Casey DeSmith have been assigned goalie-specific workouts related to hand-eye coordination, as well as conditioning their hips and core.

That work might not lead to playoff starts. Either way, Jarry is preparing to help the Penguins.

"I've had a lot of trust in the Penguins organization from Day One, and in their plan and what they were going to do with me," Jarry said. "They were very vocal on what they were going to do. They've always told me what they were going to do every step of the way, whether I was going to play some games in the NHL or be in the minors for the year. I think that's been a thing I've had to take in stride and be able to play well while doing it."