Tristan Jarry, who will get the start when the Penguins face Washington today at 3:08 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena, entered the season as their undisputed No. 1 goalie.
Perhaps Jarry, who has sputtered through the first month of the season, still is, but Mike Sullivan pointedly rejected a chance to label him as such during a conference call with reporters a few hours before the game.
"We're trying to answer the same question with our goaltenders that we do with every other lineup decision that we made," he said. " 'Which goaltender, at this particular point in time, is going to give us the best chance to win?'We have Tristan and Casey (DeSmith), who we know are both capable guys."
Both, however, have struggled, albeit to varying degrees, though the first month of 2020-21.
Jarry is 2-4-1, and his save percentage of .857 is the worst among NHL goaltenders who have appeared in more than one game. His goals-against average of 3.95 is the fifth-worst among goalies who have played in more than one game.
DeSmith is 4-1, with a 2.84 goals-against average and .885 save percentage.
"They've had their ups-and-downs through this early part of the season," Sullivan said. "We're trying to help them through that process. At the same time, we're trying to make the best decision for the team, to help us win games."
• Although it remains to be seen whether blue-collar winger Colton Sceviour will dress for the game today because Sullivan doesn't announce such personnel decisions until shortly before the opening faceoff. Nonetheless, Sullivan praised him for effectively filling his role. "He's a guy we can use on the penalty-kill," he said. "He's a guy I think makes us harder to play against. He's reliable and trustworthy, defensively. That's a dimension he brings to our team."
• Sullivan reiterated that defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who has missed the past eight games because of an unspecified injury, has not received medical clearance to rejoin the lineup. Pettersson swapped his no-contact jersey for a regular one in practice Saturday.
• Versatile forward Frederick Gaudreau, who was activated from the taxi squad last Thursday, is "a real important depth player for us," Sullivan said. Gaudreau has yet to appear in a game with the Penguins, but made 84 appearances over three seasons with Nashville.