Tristan Jarry began Thursday’s contest by making 17 saves to keep the Flyers off the scoreboard— and that was just in the first period.
The collapse of the Penguins’ defensive structure can only be expected on a team riddled with injury and COVID-related absences, where newbies like P.O. Joseph (skating in his first game of the season) and Juuso Riikola (skating in his second) are getting ice time.
If there’s one thing the Sullivan-era Penguins know how to do, especially in these past two injury-riddled seasons, it’s batten down the hatches when there are gaping holes in the lineup.