The Columbus Blue Jackets earned a 4-3 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena, with Charlie Coyle scoring the shootout game-winning goal. The victory was Columbus’ fourth straight and improved the Blue Jackets to 3-0-0 under new head coach Rick Bowness, as they responded to a late tying goal and closed the game with poise.
Game Summary
Columbus struck first despite being outplayed early in the opening period. Zach Aston-Reese opened the scoring at 2:42 with his first goal of the season, capitalizing on a loose puck in the slot after a Zach Werenski point shot deflected off a defender. Pittsburgh responded with sustained pressure, tying the game 1-1 at 9:59 when Connor Clifton snapped a shot through traffic past Elvis Merzlikins. The Penguins controlled much of the first period, outshooting Columbus 10–4, and took a 2-1 lead late in the frame at 17:52 when Rickard Rakell finished a play from Sidney Crosby for his seventh goal of the season.
Momentum shifted in the second period as Columbus found its legs. Kirill Marchenko tied the game 2-2 at 7:32, winning a puck battle and driving to the net for his 18th goal of the season, his eighth in the past 13 games. The Blue Jackets carried play late in the period and grabbed a 3-2 lead at 17:38 when Danton Heinen, facing his former team, tipped an Erik Gudbranson point shot past Arturs Silovs. It was Heinen’s second goal of the season and his first with Columbus, snapping an eight-game goal drought.
Pittsburgh pushed hard in the third period, outshooting Columbus 8–6, but struggled to convert on its chances. With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, the Penguins finally broke through. At 18:59, Sidney Crosby scored his 26th goal of the season, redirecting a Kris Letang slap pass during 6-on-5 play to force overtime.
Overtime was controlled largely by Pittsburgh, which outshot Columbus 6–2, but Merzlikins made several key saves to extend the game. Special teams were not a factor, as Columbus went 0-for-2 and Pittsburgh 0-for-3 on the power play.
In the shootout, Kent Johnson and Charlie Coyle scored for Columbus, while Merzlikins stopped three of four attempts to secure the win. Silovs finished with 22 saves on 25 shots, keeping Pittsburgh in the game but unable to stop the decisive shootout attempts.
NOTES OF THE GAME
• Penguins in Extra Time: Pittsburgh is 4-11 when games reach overtime this season and just 1-7 in shootouts, continuing a major struggle beyond regulation.
• Historic Road Success: The Blue Jackets have now won twice in Pittsburgh in the same season for the first time since entering the NHL in 2000. Their previous win came on Oct. 25, a 5-4 shootout victory.
• Crosby Milestone: Sidney Crosby factored in a game-tying goal in the third period for the 108th time in his career, passing Jaromir Jagr (107) for third-most in NHL history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (135) and Mark Messier (112).
• Season Series Drama: All four meetings between Columbus and Pittsburgh this season went beyond regulation. After the shootout loss on Oct. 25, the Penguins won 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 28 and 5-4 in overtime on Jan. 4.
• Injury Update:Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro left the game midway through the first period with a lower-body injury and will be evaluated Sunday, according to Rick Bowness.
GAME STATS
| Stat | (CBJ) | (PIT) |
| Final Score | 4 (SO) | 3 |
| Shots on Goal | 25 | 32 |
| Faceoff Win % | 41.9% | 58.1% |
| Power Play | 0/2 | 0/3 |
| Penalty Minutes | 8 | 6 |
| Hits | 24 | 17 |
| Blocked Shots | 24 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 10 | 3 |
| Shootout | 2/4 | 1/4 |
MY TAKEAWAY
This game was a clear example of how far Columbus has come under Rick Bowness. The Blue Jackets did not control the entire night, especially early, but they stayed composed, defended hard when needed, and found a way to win when it mattered most. That is not something we saw consistently from this team earlier in the season.
Elvis Merzlikins was the difference. Pittsburgh carried long stretches of play, dominated overtime, and generated quality looks late in regulation, but Merzlikins held firm and gave Columbus a chance to win. His performance allowed the Blue Jackets to survive momentum swings and remain confident heading into the shootout.
Columbus also showed growing depth. Zach Aston-Reese, Danton Heinen, and Kirill Marchenko all scored, with Heinen delivering a timely goal against his former team. Marchenko’s continued scoring run confirms he is becoming a reliable offensive driver, not just a streaky finisher.
For Pittsburgh, this was another frustrating loss in a familiar script. Strong puck possession, late push, and not enough finish when it counted. Their continued struggles in overtime and shootouts remain a real concern, especially against a team they controlled for large portions of the game.
At the end of the night, Columbus earned two points through resilience, structure, and goaltending — signs of a team learning how to win, not just compete.
NEXT GAME
The Columbus Blue Jackets begin a five-game homestand when they return home to host their next game on Tuesday, Jan. 20, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
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