Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Stuck with loss in finale
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Nedeljkovic made 27 saves in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Islanders.
Neither team had anything to play for, as the Penguins were already eliminated from the playoffs while the Isles were locked into a first-round matchup against the Hurricanes, but they still put together a spirited back-and-forth affair. The regulation loss was the first for Nedeljkovic since March 9 -- the 28-year-old took over the starting job for Pittsburgh down the stretch, and over his last 12 outings he went 8-1-2 with a 2.93 GAA and .902 save percentage. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he should be able to do better than the one-year, $1.5 million deal he signed with the Pens last July given his late-season performance.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: First goalie off Wednesday
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Nedeljkovic was the first goalie to exit the ice at morning skate ahead of Wednesday's road clash with the Islanders, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, indicating he'll guard the cage against New York.
Nedeljkovic will be making his 13th straight start for the Penguins, which comes as a bit of a surprise considering the Penguins were eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday. During that 12-game stretch, the 28-year-old backstop went 8-0-3 with a 2.87 GAA .
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Backstops crucial win
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Nedeljkovic stopped 28 of 30 Nashville shots en route to a 4-2 win Monday.
The Penguins have leaned heavily on Nedeljkovic down the stretch, and he played well until recently. In the four starts prior to Monday's game, he never had a better save percentage than .882, got pulled once and allowed a total of 15 goals. Monday's strong performance helped the Penguins get a crucial win as the team vies for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Pulled from Saturday's game
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Nedeljkovic allowed three goals on 16 shots in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Bruins.
Since the Penguins were able to cover his damage, Nedeljkovic avoided the loss following his early exit midway through the second period. Tristan Jarry wasn't much better, allowing two goals on 14 shots. Nedeljkovic has helped the Penguins stay in the hunt for a playoff spot by winning eight of his last 14 outings, a span in which he doesn't have a regulation loss. He remains at 17-6-7 with a 2.93 GAA and a .903 save percentage through 36 outings. The Penguins' next game is their home finale Monday versus the Predators.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Expected to start Saturday
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Nedeljkovic is projected to get the home start versus Boston on Saturday, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
It will be Nedeljkovic's 11th straight start as he has taken over from Tristan Jarry as the Penguins' No. 1 netminder. Nedeljkovic has gone 7-0-3 with a 2.81 GAA and a .905 save percentage during this stretch, propelling the Penguins back into the playoff race. He will have a tough matchup Saturday, as Boston is atop the Atlantic Division standings, one point ahead of the Panthers.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Hangs on for OT win
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Nedeljkovic made 25 saves in Thursday's 6-5 overtime win over the Red Wings.
The 28-year-old netminder allowed three separate leads to slip through his fingers, but Nedeljkovic also made some big stops to help the Penguins secure a huge victory. He hasn't lost in regulation since March 9, and over his last 12 outings he's gone 8-0-3 with a 2.78 GAA and .905 save percentage. Pittsburgh sits one point ahead of the Wings, Capitals and Flyers in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: First goalie off Thursday
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Nedeljkovic was the first goalie to leave the ice Thursday, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports, indicating he'll be in goal at home versus Detroit.
Nedeljkovic will be making his 10th consecutive start, having gone undefeated in regulation in his last nine appearances. During that stretch, the 28-year-old backstop is 6-0-3 with a 2.57 GAA and .913 save percentage. As long as Nedeljkovic stays sharp, he figures to be the preferred choice between the pipes for the Penguins down the stretch and, possibly, into the postseason.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Falls in overtime
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Nedeljkovic allowed three goals on 23 shots in Monday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.
Nedeljkovic held the Leafs to a pair of goals in regulation, including an Auston Matthews power-play marker, though he'd ultimately wind up with the loss after Jake McCabe scored the game-winner 1:30 into overtime. The defeat snapped a four-game winning streak for Nedeljkovic -- he'd gone 6-0-1 with a .926 save percentage over his previous seven outings while taking over the starting job in Pittsburgh. Overall, the 28-year-old Nedeljkovic is 16-6-7 with a .907 save percentage and 2.82 GAA on the season. He figures to be back between the pipes Thursday when the Penguins host Detroit.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Gets starting nod Saturday
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Nedeljkovic will patrol the home crease versus Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Nedeljkovic has taken over the reins as the Penguins' No. 1 goaltender from Tristan Jarry. Nedeljkovic will make his eighth straight start after going 5-0-2 in his previous seven contests. He is 15-6-6 with a 2.78 GAA and a .908 save percentage this season. The Lightning will provide Nedeljkovic with all he can handle, as they are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Stops 30 in win
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Nedeljkovic stopped 30 of 31 shots in Thursday's 4-1 victory over the Capitals.
He was excellent again Thursday, holding the Caps to a lone Alex Ovechkin power-play goal in the third period en route to Nedeljkovic's fifth win in his last six starts. The 28-year-old netminder has a .934 save percentage during this impressive six-game stretch -- he's seemingly surpassed Tristan Jarry as Pittsburgh's preferred option in net for the time being. Nedeljkovic improved to 15-6-6 on the season with a .908 save percentage and 2.78 GAA. The Penguins are back in action Saturday at home versus the Lightning.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Making road start
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Nedeljkovic will defend the visiting crease in Washington on Thursday, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Nedeljkovic will make his seventh straight start -- he's gone 4-0-2 in his last six games. Nedeljkovic is 14-6-6 with a 2.84 GAA and a .906 save percentage this season. The Capitals are averaging just 2.69 goals this year, 28th in the league, so this is a favorable matchup for Nedeljkovic.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Hangs on for win Tuesday
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Nedeljkovic turned aside 23 shots in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Devils.
The Penguins were in a 3-1 hole after two periods, but Nedeljkovic shut the door in the final frame while Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin powered a comeback. Tristan Jarry was out with an illness Tuesday, but he seems to have lost his grip on the No. 1 role anyway -- Nedeljkovic has started six straight games and has gotten Pittsburgh at least one point in all of them, going 4-0-2 with a 2.53 GAA and .915 save percentage. With the Pens sitting three points back of the Capitals for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, expect them to ride Nedeljkovic as far as he can take them.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Starting again Tuesday
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Nedeljkovic will tend the twine on the road against New Jersey on Tuesday, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Nedeljkovic will take both ends of the Penguins' back-to-back due to the absence of Tristan Jarry (illness). The 28-year-old Nedlejkovic was solid in the first game Monday, stopping 28 of 30 shots in a winning effort versus the Rangers. It will be the sixth consecutive start for Nedeljkovic, having gone undefeated in regulation in the previous five outings (3-0-2).
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Holds on for win
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Nedeljkovic allowed two goals on 30 shots in a 5-2 win over the Rangers on Monday.
The Rangers made the contest close late in the third period, as Nedeljkovic gave up two goals, but the Penguins were able to capture the win with two empty-net markers. The 28-year-old netminder finished with a .933 save percentage. This was the fifth straight start for Nedeljkovic, and he has gained at least one point in each of those games with three wins and two overtime losses. Even with his recent success, keep an eye out for the return of Tristan Jarry from illness to potentially take away playing time.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Starting Monday
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Nedeljkovic will be stationed between the pipes for Monday's road game against the Rangers, Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff reports.
It's unclear if something happened, but Nedeljkovic will get the nod after Tristan Jarry was originally announced as the starter. Nedeljkovic is 3-0-2 with a .917 save percentage over his last seven appearances. Monday's game will be the sixth consecutive contest he's appeared in. The 28-year-old is 12-6-6 with a .906 save percentage this season.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Back in net Saturday
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Nedeljkovic will guard the road cage Saturday against the Blue Jackets, per Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff.
It'll be the fifth start in six games for Nedeljkovic in place of a struggling Tristan Jarry. Nedeljkovic has been solid in that span, going 3-0-1 with a .912 save percentage. Overall, the 28-year-old netminder is 12-6-5 on the season with a .905 save percentage and 2.87 GAA.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: First goalie off Thursday
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Nedeljkovic was the first goalie to leave the ice Thursday, Wes Crosby of NHL.com reports, indicating he'll be in goal at home versus Columbus.
Nedeljkovic will be making his third straight start -- he's coming off a 38-save victory over the Hurricanes on Tuesday. For the year, the 28-year-old Ohio native is sporting an 11-6-5 record to go with a 2.91 GAA and .906 save percentage. A strong finish to the season should help Nedeljkovic's chances of securing a longer-term contract this offseason after playing this season on a one-year deal.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Sharp in Tuesday's win
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Nedeljkovic turned aside 38 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
He had little chance on the one puck that beat him in the second period, as Dmitry Orlov's shot from just above the faceoff circle deflected off a Pittsburgh defender before sneaking past the screened goalie. Nedeljkovic is 2-0-1 over his last three starts and has a 2.45 GAA and .919 save percentage over his last five outings, including two relief appearances. With the Penguins fighting to stay alive in the playoff race, that might be enough to push the 28-year-old ahead of the struggling Tristan Jarry on the Pens' depth chart.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Slated to start
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Nedeljkovic was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate, per Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff, putting him on track to protect the home goal against the Hurricanes on Tuesday.
Nedeljkovic struggled in his last start Sunday against the Avalanche, surrendering four goals on just 25 shots before being replaced by Tristan Jarry midway through the third period of the eventual 5-4 overtime loss. Nedeljkovic will try to get back in the win column in a tough home matchup with a hot Carolina team that's won six of its last seven contests.
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Penguins' Alex Nedeljkovic: Pulled against Avs
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Nedeljkovic was given the hook after conceding four goals on 25 shots in Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss to Colorado.
It's been an underwhelming March for Nedlejkovic, as he is 1-2-1 with a 4.18 GAA and an .843 save percentage over seven appearances. If the 28-year-old netminder could put together a winning streak, he would stand a decent chance of earning more starts down the stretch. At this point, however, Nedeljkovic may only play in back-to-backs given his recent outings.
