Penguins look like a contender, but a long season still lies ahead

The Penguins are on quite a tear in recent weeks, and it has been a combination of a lot of things.

They have the look of a team that may be one of the best in the East and, by extension, the NHL, but it is December and I learned a long time ago not to get too excited about much of anything with regards to both the NHL and NBA until about mid-February because it is such a long season.

That’s why I am not ready to concede “bringing back the whole gang” and not upgrading the goalie position was the right move. The Penguins aren’t and never will be a team that is judged by what happens in the regular season. If the goal was to be good again in the regular season, then I must have the organization mixed up with someone else.

One of the major factors in all of it has been the play of Tristan Jarry, which isn’t a shock seeing as the goalie is such an important player on every team. I get that they are playing a little better in front of him, but Jarry has actually faced a lot of shots some nights and has stood tall.

Jarry is the key to everything that is going to happen with the Penguins going forward, as he has shown he is capable of playing at a level among the best goalies in the NHL. The Penguins have a real chance to legitimately become contenders again in the Eastern Conference if Jarry can continue to play this way (his recent save percentage of .941 is really, really encouraging), but there is always this caveat: He has to prove it in the playoffs.

And, unfortunately, we won’t know that until the playoffs begin. I don’t know if that is exactly fair to Jarry, but it is the truth — about the Penguins in general and him specifically. He and they will be judged by what they do in the playoffs.

There are many who would say a fan base is “spoiled” if they have grown accustomed to a team winning championships and being legitimate contenders annually, but that, to me, is silly. If you are an organization, wouldn’t you much rather have your fan base expecting great things than expecting the worst?

And the thing is if Penguins fans are spoiled, it is the Penguins’ fault because they have set such a high bar and high standard of excellence. They make the playoffs every year; they spend to the cap every year; they make moves to try and “go for it” every year; and fans appreciate it, as well as expect it.

That brings me back to Jarry, who has been excellent for about the past 20 games, as he has to know he will ultimately be judged by what he does in the playoffs. He has had a rough ride in the postseason but mostly because he has had a hard time staying healthy late in the season.

In that regard, the Penguins need to be smart with both him and the rest of their roster over the course of the season.

They are one of the oldest teams in the NHL. Their most important players are 30-somethings, and their goalie has shown he seemingly gets worn down over the course of the long season.

I know hockey players hate the idea of “load management,” but Mike Sullivan should take a page from the book of a lot of NBA teams if he really wants to give his team the best chance to win.

Obviously, securing a playoff spot is important, but winning home ice is not. Neither is winning the Presidents’ trophy. The most important thing for this Penguins team is to be healthy and have rested enough legs to make it deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Sullivan needs to be willing to rest players, give them nights off — even when they are healthy — and manage Jarry’s load in a way that he will be at full strength going into the postseason.

Jarry, especially, is the key because as we found out the past two seasons in particular, there isn’t a good alternative when it comes to winning playoff hockey games.

The Penguins have started to look like a team that may be able to make a deep run in the playoffs for the first time in six years, but it is a long season and this is a team that has been on fumes going into recent postseasons.

This year could be different, but Sullivan may need to handle the regular season differently to give the team the best chance of not repeating recent playoff failures.