Mark Madden: Tristan Jarry's puck-handling, passing will be strength for Penguins

After a second straight disappointing playoff by him and the team, the Pittsburgh Penguins shipped two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Matt Murray to Ottawa.

Murray put in a solid five years with the Penguins but was never as good as he was during his first two campaigns, both of which ended in championships. The numbers don’t lie.

Murray often sat too deep in his net, negating his 6-foot-4 frame. His glove wasn’t as bad as his harshest critics said. But it wasn’t good, either. The same can be said of his rebound control.

Murray needed a fresh start. He was too often hurt. He felt entitled to the starting job even when his play faltered. Murray was angry when he didn’t start Game 4 of last season’s playoff loss to Montreal. But he should have been lifted from the series sooner than that.

Tristan Jarry was a better goalie last year. Jarry will be better this year, too.

Jarry could be a big strength for the Penguins, maybe one of the best goalies in the MassMutual Division. I wish they had a proven veteran backup for insurance — GET IT?

The MassMutual isn’t awash with terrific netminding.

At 33, Boston’s Tuukka Rask sits at the top of the division’s totem pole. He had great stats last year and finished second in Vezina Trophy (top goalie) voting. But he quit (sorry, opted out) during the playoffs. Can Rask maintain his prime, or is it nearly done?

At 22, Philadelphia’s Carter Hart is the crown prince. He’s in the NHL’s top 10. It’s worrisome that the Flyers have a good team and good goalie simultaneously for the first time in decades.

But Jarry easily could slot in after that.

Henrik Lundqvist’s heart ailment leaves Washington in the hands of second-year puckstopper Ilya Samsonov, last season’s backup. The New York Rangers have two promising youngsters but not much proven. The New York Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov has had one outstanding season among his 12 in the NHL, and it was seven years ago. It doesn’t matter who plays net for Buffalo and New Jersey as long as it’s not Dominik Hasek and Martin Brodeur.

Jarry made the NHL’s All-Star event last year despite playing less than half the games. He led the NHL in all significant goaltending stats at midseason. (Yet somehow wasn’t the starter.)

Jarry absolutely sparkled during the first week of training camp, posting shutouts in the first two scrimmages. He appears to be fine-tuning his play as opportunity knocks.

Jarry’s glove and rebound control are better than Murray’s. That will placate the citizens until he allows a bad goal. He’s two inches shorter than Murray. His technique is cookie-cutter, as is the case with most NHL goalies. He’s laid back to the point of occasionally seeming comatose.

But Jarry’s standout attribute is his puck-handling and passing.

Jarry played forward until he was 10. The puck feels natural on his stick. Dump-and-chase has faded as a tactic, but it’s difficult to do against Jarry. Jarry will save his defensemen lots of steps, upping the efficiency of a workhorse like Kris Letang.

Jarry could be among the league’s top puck-handlers at his position. Once he and his teammates develop a rhythm in that regard, that skill provides a big weapon. It might have helped break through Montreal’s neutral-zone clog this past postseason. Murray was a butcher with the puck.

Jarry won’t win the Vezina. That’s OK. He just has to win enough games. At 25, he could be a bell cow. He might play 40-45 games out of the Penguins’ 56.

Jarry netted a goal in the American Hockey League. He may outscore the Penguins’ bottom six.