On most nights, the Penguins are relying on stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust to find the back of the net.
On Thursday night, goaltender Tristan Jarry decided it was time he lit the lamp.
The Penguins netminder became the first Pittsburgh goalie to ever record a goal in an NHL contest when he launched the puck the entire length of the ice to tickle the twine during the Penguins' 4-2 win over the Lightning.
For the first time in Pittsburgh Penguins history, we have a GOALIE GOAL! pic.twitter.com/fXvx99fvRh
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 1, 2023
Beautiful look at the Tristan Jarry goal 😍 pic.twitter.com/qGFyQYQr4f
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) December 1, 2023
"It's pretty neat, honestly," Jarry said after the game. "It's something that doesn't happen very often. There are very few that have done it. It's something that's definitely pretty cool, but honestly, the win means more."
While it's the first time Jarry has scored in the NHL, he is no stranger to getting on the score sheet. During his AHL days, the goaltender scored a goal playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2018.
Tristan Jarry scores a goal for Broadways Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins in the AHL @missincurfew @Jimmy10Hayes pic.twitter.com/1I0flGkmiy
— Printzy (@curfew_printzy) October 14, 2020
"It's cool," Crosby said on the goalie goal. "I mean, to be a part of that — you know, you see it happen, but I've never seen it live and been a part of it. I'm really happy for him. It's pretty cool to see."
There must be something with goaltenders in the Pittsburgh organization contributing to the offense. Just two weeks ago, Penguins backup goalie Alex Nedeljkovic potted a goalie goal for Wilkes-Barre/Scanton, marking his second career AHL goalie goal.
A GOALIE GOAL SO NICE, ALEX NEDELJKOVIC HAS DONE IT TWICE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/VCbwI4UFct
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) November 18, 2023
Jarry, who re-signed with the Penguins this offseason on a five-year deal, has put up very respectable numbers in his eighth season in Pittsburgh. The 28-year-old sports a 2.48 GAA with a .916 save percentage in 16 games this season.
MORE: Why Corey Perry was waived by the Blackhawks
He now adds a goal to his season total for 2023-24, one of only a handful of goaltenders to ever light the lamp in the NHL.
NHL goalies with a goal
There are goalie goals, and then there are goals scored by a goaltender. It's an important distinction.
Some goaltenders have been credited with scoring a goal because they were the last player on their team to touch the puck before it went in the net. This usually happens when an opponent accidentally puts the puck in their own net.
Then there are instances where goalies are doing the hard part — shooting a puck the length of the ice into the cage.
Jarry became just the eighth different goalie to shoot the puck directly into the net, and first to do so since Linus Ullmark's goal for the Bruins in February of 2023. In total, there have been nine instances of a goaltender shooting the puck into the net.
Here is the full list of those goalies:
| Goalie | Team | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Hextall | Flyers | Dec. 8, 1987 | Bruins |
| Ron Hextall | Flyers | April 11, 1989 | Capitals |
| Chris Osgood | Red Wings | March 6, 1996 | Whalers |
| Martin Brodeur | Devils | April 17, 1997 | Canadiens |
| Jose Theodore | Canadiens | Jan. 2, 2001 | Islanders |
| Evgeni Nabokov | Sharks | March 10, 2002 | Canucks |
| Mike Smith | Coyotes | Oct. 19, 2013 | Red Wings |
| Pekka Rinne | Predators | Jan. 9, 2020 | Blackhawks |
| Linus Ullmark | Bruins | Feb. 25, 2023 | Canucks |
| Tristan Jarry | Penguins | Nov. 20, 2023 | Lightning |
Ron Hextall, the 1986-87 Vezina winner, was the first goalie to shoot the puck down the ice and score a goal, and is the only goalie to accomplish the feat twice. The Flyers legend was known for his exceptional puck-handling ability despite his position.
Hextall's second goal was the first to be scored by a goalie in the playoffs. It also marked the first time a goalie had scored while his team was shorthanded.
Huge game vs the Capitals tonight. Let’s throw it back to the 1989 playoffs:
— Coots (@YaBoyCoots) March 4, 2020
Ron Hextall seals the win vs the Capitals with the first ever goalie goal in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/FemhGw2uSp
Brodeur technically has three goals in his career, however only once has he shot the puck down the ice for a goal.
On Feb. 15, 2000, the Devils goaltender received credit for a game-winning goal when the Flyers' Daymond Langkow scored into his own net with 9:43 remaining to give New Jersey a 3-1 lead. The Devils won the game 4-2. Brodeur also received credit for a goal against the Hurricanes on March 21, 2013, when Jordan Staal misfired on a pass that went toward an empty Carolina net after Dan Ellis had left his crease on a delayed penalty.
The first instance of an NHL goalie being credited with a goal occurred Nov. 28, 1979. The Islanders' Billy Smith was the last to touch the puck before the Rockies' Rob Ramage misfired on a pass that went directly into an empty net on a delayed penalty. The Rockies won the game, and to this day, Smith is still the only goalie with a goal in a losing effort.