Highest Scoring Duo In History

I'll admit that, as a Penguins fan, I'm still not sold on Tristan Jarry's capabilities to be an elite starting goaltending in the NHL. There's no denying that he can stop the puck and we've seen him rise to the occasion on occasion when the Penguins depserately needed a win, but he seems to have a knack for allowing a poorly-timed goal or two. His durability also is in question as he seemingly spends a lot of time injured when the Penguins need an elite goaltender. I made the case this summer that the Penguins should have focused on improving their goaltending rather than making the deal for Erik Karlsson, but it seems that the Penguins have decided that the best defence is, in fact, a good offence. And that includes Tristan Jarry.

After arriving at home from another entertaining episode of The Hockey Show, I began watching the Lightning-Penguins game in the hopes that the Penguins would be able to defeat a team they're needing to beat in order to win a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference. The Penguins were holding a 3-2 lead late in the game after Jeff Carter finally scored his first goal since March 2:49 into the final frame. The Lightning, looking for the equalizer, pulled Andrei Vasilevskiy for the extra attacker, and that's when Tristan Jarry decided to help his own cause.

Tristan Jarry became the 14th NHL goaltender to record a goal as he scored the 17th goaltender goal in NHL history at 18:52 of the third period against the Lightning to make it a 4-2 game for the Penguins! He also becomes the first Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender in history to score a goal as well! For Jarry, though, it's his second professional goal as he scored on November 14, 2018 against the Springfield Thunderbirds, and that goal made Jarry the 14th goaltender to score a goal in the AHL's 83-year history! Maybe he should ask the Penguins if he can wear #14 with all the times it's showing up in his career?

What makes this even cooler, though, is that Jarry and goaltending partner Alex Nedeljkovic have five professional goals between them! As you may recall, Nedeljkovic scored with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton just two weeks ago for his second AHL goal and third professional goal, and Jarry's goal tonight brings the goal-scoring duo's total to five professional goals between them. They appear to be the highest goal-scoring professional goaltending duo in the history of the game!

What might be a little more Twilight Zone-ish is that the 13th goal in AHL history was scored by Alex Nedeljkovic with Charlotte against Hartford. Jarry, as stated above, scored the 14th goal, and here we have Nedeljkovic scoring this season followed by Jarry scoring the very next goalie goal after him. I'm not trying to saying that hockey history is linking these two men together through their goal-scoring abilities, but the coincidences are striking!

I would have written this article last night when Jarry scored, but I needed a break from hockey chatter for one night after the radio show. As always, though, the pledge of posting goalie goals does not go absent just because I was tired, and digging into the history of the goals that Jarry and Nedeljkovic scored is pretty cool.

Congratulations go out to Tristan Jarry on his goal and to the Penguins on their victory! I'm not sure that I'd bet against either of the Pittsburgh goalies when it comes to scoring again because they seem to score on the opposition pretty regularly!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!