Given his rookie status, with only 13 games of NHL experience heading into Thursday evening, it seems appropriate for netminder Joel Blomqvist to receive some patience and understanding from the Pittsburgh Penguins management and fans alike.

Certainly more than what should be granted to veterans Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic.

That said, rookie or not, Blomqvist has figured in the Penguins’ overall goaltending woes this season.

His 3-9-0 record, 3.72 goals-against average and .886 save percentage are illustrative of a young player trying to keep his head above water against the world’s best players whenever he’s in net.

But by the end of his appearance Thursday at home against the Philadelphia Flyers, in which he replaced Nedeljkovic mid-game, allowed only one goal and helped the Penguins to a come-from-behind 5-4 overtime win, Blomqvist’s confidence should have received a big boost.

“It means a lot for the whole team,” Blomqvist said postgame. “Today wasn’t pretty, but we found a way. I give the group a lot of credit for it. … Just getting more game feel is valuable, and it’s good to build from.”

Nedeljkovic was yanked by coach Mike Sullivan with 12 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the middle period, after Philadelphia had taken a 3-0 lead.

Following Nedeljkovic’s emotional exit from the ice, having allowed three goals on 15 shots, Blomqvist took over and for the remaining 33:39 of the game, including 63 seconds of overtime, stopped 21 of 22 shots.

Less than four minutes after he took the net, Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov ripped a shot past Blomqvist on the power play, but from there, the 23-year-old Finn held firm.

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— NHL (@NHL) February 28, 2025

Blomqvist’s steady play helped snap the team’s four-game skid that dated to Feb. 7.

As the Penguins picked up their first victory after the 4 Nations Face-Off, Blomqvist secured his first win since Nov. 8, improving his record to 4-9.

While he didn’t play a full game, Blomqvist’s .954 save percentage Thursday was also the highest he had managed since Nov. 8, when he stopped 32 of 34 against the Washington Capitals.

“Awesome. He was outstanding all night,” said forward Phil Tomasino, who scored in the win. “He kept us in there. Made some huge saves in the third (period) as well. Overall, he did a heck of a job.”

Before Thursday, Blomqvist’s play after the 4 Nations break (as could be said of the Penguins as a team) left much to be desired.

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Relieving Nedeljkovic on Feb. 22 against the Capitals, Blomqvist let up three goals on 17 shots (.824) in the Penguins’ 8-3 defeat.

Starting the next night against the New York Rangers, Blomqvist took the loss after allowing four goals on 15 shots (.733).

But despite less-than-ideal circumstances Thursday, Blomqvist rose to the occasion.

“I thought he played well,” Sullivan said. “This was, without a doubt, a step forward for (Blomqvist), and it’s certainly encouraging, what we saw from him today.”

With back-to-back home games coming up this weekend against the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, Thursday’s win soon will be in the rearview mirror.

Whether the Penguins can use it as a foundation to craft some needed momentum remains to be seen.

One win also doesn’t erase an underwhelming body of work to date or the Penguins’ uphill battle for postseason positioning.

But in the moment, for the Penguins collectively and Blomqvist individually, winning in such a manner carries weight.

“It’s been tough lately, but we just need to take energy from this and build on it,” Blomqvist said.

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