The Columbus Blue Jackets let another third-period lead slip away on Friday night, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. Despite strong moments from Werenski, Monahan, and Gaunce, the Jackets extended their losing streak to four games and continued a frustrating trend of blown leads late in games.
GAME SUMMARY
Columbus came out with good jump and structure for a team trying to stop a losing streak. The first period was tight, with both teams trading chances and feeling each other out. Pittsburgh struck first at 6:10 when Kris Letang threaded a pass to Sidney Crosby at the back door for a 1-0 lead.
To their credit, the Jackets responded the right way. They pushed back with a strong forecheck, got pucks deep, and started to tilt the ice. Sean Monahan finally tied it 1-1 at 13:40, jumping on a loose puck after Brendan Smith’s point shot and lifting it over Tristan Jarry for his first goal in ten games. From that moment on, Columbus looked confident and settled at five-on-five.
The second period was exactly what you want from this group. Columbus controlled the pace, outshot Pittsburgh 13–7 in the frame, and took over most of the battles along the walls. Early in the period, Miles Wood forced Crosby into a mistake, skated around him, and set up Brendan Gaunce on a shorthanded 2-on-1. Gaunce finished the play in front to make it 2-1 and gave the building a real spark.
Columbus kept their foot on the gas. They rolled lines, got clean exits, and kept Pittsburgh mostly to the outside. Late in the period, with the Jackets pressing again, Charlie Coyle dug the puck out of the corner and found Zach Werenski at the top of the circle. Werenski hammered a one-timer past Jarry with just four seconds left in the period to make it 3-1.
After 40 minutes, the numbers told the story:
Shots on goal: Columbus 21 – Pittsburgh 15.
The Jackets were in control.
Then came the third period — and the same nightmare that’s been haunting this team for weeks.
Just 13 seconds into the third, Bryan Rust snapped a shot from the top of the right circle to cut the lead to 3-2. That goal seemed to shake Columbus. Breakouts got sloppier, gaps opened up, and the Jackets spent more time defending than attacking. The building went quiet, and you could almost feel the group tighten up.
At 8:28, Crosby tied the game 3-3, taking a pass off the wall from Tommy Novak, slipping behind coverage, and beating Jet Greaves on a breakaway under the right arm. From there, the momentum was all Pittsburgh. The Penguins’ veterans — Crosby, Malkin, Letang — dictated most of the shifts, while Columbus struggled to regain their earlier rhythm.
Head coach Dean Evason didn’t sugarcoat it afterward:
“Certainly, we felt a bit of a, not necessarily a sag, it’s just when things haven’t gone well, obviously you start thinking,” Evason said. “We obviously made some mistakes on those two goals, and we didn’t get rewarded for some of the opportunities that we had.”
Columbus did have chances to win it in regulation — Werenski, Monahan, and Kent Johnson all had looks — but couldn’t finish. That set the stage for another overtime heartbreak.
OT didn’t last long. After a hard battle on the wall, Evgeni Malkin outmuscled two Jackets, kicked the puck free, and started a give-and-go with Letang. Letang walked into the middle and snapped home the winner just 59 seconds into overtime. Another lead gone, another extra point left on the table.
The bigger picture is what really stings.
“I’m not sure you guys are sick of asking about it,” Werenski said. “I’m sure fans are sick of seeing it. At the end of the day, it’s on us to find a way to get a win in regulation and close the game out.”
Over their past 11 games, the Blue Jackets have:
- Gone past regulation eight times
- Blown leads in six of those games
- Gone 3-0-5 in those eight
- And in four of those games, they’ve given up a two-goal lead late
Werenski added:
“We’re getting points, and we still haven’t really played good enough in the third period, and we’re leading in almost every game. I really like what we have going on here. But, yeah, we’re sick of talking about it.”
The effort is there. The compete is there. But once again, the Blue Jackets played 40 strong minutes, then let another winnable game slip away.
NOTES
- Columbus played this game without Mathieu Olivier and Kirill Marchenko, two forwards who bring physicality, energy, and depth scoring.
- Columbus has now lost four straight games (0-1-3).
- Zach Werenski picked up 2 points tonight, giving him 14 points in his last 11 games.
- In their last 11 games, they’ve gone past regulation eight times and have blown leads in six of them, including four games where they gave up a late two-goal lead.
- Sean Monahan’s goal snapped a 10-game drought.
- Brendan Gaunce scored his first of the season on a shorthanded effort.
- Jet Greaves finished with 20 saves on 24 shots.
- Columbus finishes the month of November with a record of 5-5-5.
GAME STATS
| Stat | PIT | CBJ |
| Shots on Goal | 24 | 29 |
| Faceoff % | 49.2% | 50.8% |
| Power Play | 0/2 | 0/2 |
| Penalty Minutes | 4 | 4 |
| Hits | 18 | 16 |
| Blocked Shots | 20 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 19 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 3 |
3 STARS OF THE GAME
- Sidney Crosby – PIT 2G 2PTS
- Kris Letang – PIT 1G 1A 2PTS GWG
- Zach Werenski – CBJ 1G 1A 2PTS
Final Thoughts
Columbus once again put themselves in a position to win, and once again they couldn’t close the door. After 40 minutes, the Blue Jackets were the better team — up 3-1, leading 21-15 in shots, and controlling the pace. But the same storyline returned in the third period. A quick goal against, pressure mounting, and another lead disappearing late.
This group competes hard, plays fast, and stays in every game, but the inability to finish is costing them precious points. Werenski is playing like a true No. 1 defenseman, Monahan finally got rewarded, and Gaunce delivered a huge short-handed moment. But until the Jackets learn how to manage momentum swings and protect leads, these results won’t change.
They’re collecting points, but they’re losing ground. The effort is there — the consistency in the third period is not. Now on a four-game skid, Columbus needs to find a way to close games in regulation and reset mentally before this pattern becomes their identity.
Next Game
Monday Dec. 1st at New Jersey 7:00PM EDT
Home › Forums › Jackets Blow Another Lead, Fall In OT
Tagged: Columbus Blue Jackets, nhl