The Pittsburgh Penguins do not panic when things go sideways. Call it one of the fringe benefits of having the NHL’s oldest team.
They have been through so much, not much phases them, even a four-goal deficit at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night when it was hard to tell at times which club began the night with the league’s worst record and which club was trying to reach the playoffs for a 17th straight season.
Clarity arrived courtesy of a three-goal flurry in the third period. Victory arrived in overtime.
Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA Today
Sidney Crosby capped a frantic rally with a blast from the right circle that beat Blue Jackets backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson 2 minutes, 45 seconds into the extra period as the Penguins scrambled to a 5-4 win.
“We’ll take those two points, but we know it wasn’t the most ideal game for us,” said Penguins forward Jason Zucker, who had two goals to boost his season total to 21.
It was the ideal finish. Pittsburgh beat the Blue Jackets for the 13th straight time at PPG Paints Arena thanks to a three-goal outburst early in the third that drew the Penguins even, setting the stage for the 20th overtime goal of Crosby’s career, which sent Pittsburgh to their fifth win in their past six games.
“We knew [the start] wasn’t good enough,” Zucker said. “We’re a veteran group. We know what we need to be doing. We got after it a little bit in the second and definitely in the third.”
Zucker, Jake Guentzel and Danton Heinen scored in a 3 minute, 38 second span early in the third period to make it 4-4. Crosby’s 28th goal of the season kept Pittsburgh unbeaten against Columbus at home since November 2015.
Evgeni Malkin had three assists for the Penguins. Crosby and Rickard Rakell added two assists as Pittsburgh stayed three points clear of Florida for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Patrik Laine, Emil Bemstrom, Liam Foudy and Lane Pederson all scored for Columbus, but it was not enough.
“They’re a dangerous team and you give them some energy in this building, they’re going to come,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get it done.”
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