For the second time this season, the Columbus Blue Jackets watched a late lead against Pittsburgh disappear — and once again, the ending was painful. Holding a two-goal advantage entering the third period, Columbus failed to protect it as the Penguins stormed back, tying the game with just 14 seconds left in regulation before finishing the job in overtime.
Sidney Crosby sealed the comeback with a breakaway goal at 2:22 of overtime, capping a rally from down three goals earlier in the game. With the goal, Crosby made history, becoming the first player in NHL history to reach 50 career overtime points (25 goals, 25 assists).
This collapse felt familiar. On Nov. 28 in Columbus, the Penguins also erased a third-period deficit, scoring three unanswered goals in the third period and overtime to claim a 4–3 win on a Kris Letang overtime goal. Different night, same result.
The loss marked the sixth time this season the Blue Jackets have been defeated despite leading after 40 minutes. In 18 games with a lead through two periods, Columbus has now lost six — a troubling 33% failure rate. Even more concerning, the Blue Jackets own a –21 goal differential in third periods, the worst mark in the NHL, underscoring a team-wide inability to close games when it matters most.
Game Summary
1st Period – Blue Jackets Strike Back and Take Control
The Pittsburgh Penguins opened the scoring at 1:50 of the first period when Ville Koivunen beat Jet Greaves for his second goal of the season. The play started with a shot from the blue line by Jack St. Ivany, which was tipped by rookie Ben Kindel before the puck landed on Koivunen’s stick. Koivunen quickly snapped it past Greaves to give Pittsburgh a 1–0 lead.
Columbus responded in a big way — and fast. Just 27 seconds apart, the Blue Jackets scored twice to take control of the game. At 8:21, Dmitri Voronkov tied it up with a tip-in goal, his 15th of the season, redirecting a point shot from Denton Mateychuk. Then at 8:48, Mason Marchment gave Columbus the lead with his ninth goal of the season — and fifth since joining the Blue Jackets — finishing the play with a smooth backhand. Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko picked up the assists.
Columbus wasn’t done. With 1:22 remaining in the period, Kirill Marchenko made it 3–1, scoring his 15th goal of the season after a perfect cross-ice feed from Zach Werenski. Marchenko was left wide open at the back door and snapped the puck into the net. The goal gave Marchenko seven points in his last six games.
The Blue Jackets controlled much of the opening frame, outshooting Pittsburgh 12–9. Columbus took the only minor penalty of the period, but the Penguins were unable to capitalize on the power play.
2nd Period – Momentum Begins to Shift
At that point, it looked like the Blue Jackets were on their way to a comfortable win. Columbus entered the second period with a two-goal lead and quickly added to it just 47 seconds in, extending the advantage to 4–1.
Zach Werenski scored his 15th goal of the season with a wrist shot from the blue line, helped by a strong screen from Mathieu Olivier in front of the net. Werenski, who returned to the lineup the night before, continued his strong stretch with another multi-point performance (one goal, one assist). It marked his fifth straight multi-point game and sixth in his last seven. Over that span, Werenski has recorded six goals and eight assists for 14 points, producing at least one point in seven consecutive games.
After that goal, however, the tone of the game changed. Columbus appeared to ease off, while Pittsburgh began to push back with more urgency. The Penguins increased their forecheck pressure, controlled the pace, and fired 21 shots on goal in the period.
Jet Greaves, playing the second night of a back-to-back, was excellent once again, making several key saves to keep Columbus in front. But at 16:51, Pittsburgh finally broke through. Noel Acciari scored his fourth goal of the season after Connor Dewar intercepted a clearing attempt by Adam Fantilli at the blue line. Acciari was left alone in front and beat Greaves with a wrist shot.
The goal cut the lead from three to two — and more importantly, it shifted the momentum. From that moment on, the Penguins were firmly back in the game, setting the stage for what was to come.
3rd Period – Penguins Complete the Comeback
For the second time in the game, Pittsburgh struck early in a period. At 3:28 of the third, Tommy Novak scored a power-play goal to cut Columbus’ lead to 4–3. Dmitri Voronkov was in the penalty box for tripping Yegor Chinakhov, his former teammate — a notable moment after Columbus traded Chinakhov to Pittsburgh just last week.
Following a faceoff win, the Penguins set up quickly. Ben Kindel fed Novak in the high slot, and Novak unloaded a one-timer past Jet Greaves to bring Pittsburgh within one.
From there, the Penguins continued to apply heavy pressure. Pittsburgh controlled the puck, sustained its forecheck, and generated chance after chance, while Greaves made multiple key saves to preserve the Blue Jackets’ slim lead.
But the pressure finally paid off late. With the net empty and the Penguins skating 6-on-5, Rickard Rakell found open ice in the high-danger scoring area. Anthony Mantha delivered a perfect pass, and Rakell snapped a wrist shot past Greaves for his sixth goal of the season, tying the game 4–4 with just 14 seconds remaining.
The equalizer felt inevitable. Pittsburgh outshot Columbus 32–13 over the final two periods, fully earning the late tying goal and forcing the game to overtime.
Overtime
Columbus never found its footing in overtime. The Blue Jackets failed to generate a single shot on goal during the extra frame, while Pittsburgh controlled possession and waited for an opening.
That opening came off a costly line change by Columbus. Erik Karlsson picked up the puck and sent Sidney Crosby in alone on a breakaway, and the Penguins captain made no mistake. Crosby beat Jet Greaves to end the game, scoring his career 25th overtime goal and sealing a 5–4 Penguins victory.
With the goal, Crosby became the first player in NHL history to record 50 career overtime points, reaching the milestone with an even split of 25 goals and 25 assists. It was also the game-winning goal for Pittsburgh, completing another comeback at the expense of Columbus.
The win marked the Penguins’ fifth straight victory, further cementing their return as a playoff contender as they currently hold one of the Eastern Conference wild-card spots.
Inside of the Locker Room
Captain Boone Jenner didn’t shy away from the issue following another third-period collapse.
“For whatever reason, I think our energy dropped,” Jenner said. “And when your energy drops, your play drops. You kind of sit back, and that’s what happened. We just kind of watched them take it to us.
“We’ve got to close that one out. Obviously, there’s been a number of games where third-period leads have hurt us. To get to where we want to get to, we’ve got to close them out.”
Head coach Dean Evason echoed that sentiment, pointing to a clear turning point earlier in the game.
“I just think the momentum shifted there in the second period,” Evason said. “Then we made a couple of other unintelligent plays, and it ended up in our net.”
Notes:
- Zach Werenski has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) during his current seven-game point streak.
- Mason Marchment has recorded seven points (five goals, two assists) in seven games since being acquired from the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 19.
- Kirill Marchenko has six points in his last five games, including four goals.
- Denton Mateychuk has produced three multi-point games in his last five, totaling seven points over that span while posting a +8 rating.
Game Stats
| Stat | Penguins | Blue Jackets |
| Shots on Goal | 43 | 25 |
| Goals | 5 | 4 |
| Faceoff % | 53.1% | 46.9% |
| Power Play | 1/3 | 0/0 |
| Hits | 14 | 22 |
| Blocked Shots | 14 | 19 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 21 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 7 |
| Penalty Minutes | 0 | 6 |
Three Stars of the Game
1- S. Crosby #87 • PIT • Center
G: 1 | A: 1 | P: 2
2- Z. Werenski #8 • CBJ • Defenseman
G: 1 | A: 1 | P: 2
3- R. Rakell #67 • PIT • Right Wing
G: 1 | A: 0 | P: 1
My Takeaway
It’s becoming inexcusable for Columbus to keep dropping games like this. Once again, the Blue Jackets entered the third period with a lead — and once again, they failed to close it out. This has now happened six times already at the halfway point of the season, and it’s a major reason why this team sits near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The numbers tell the story. A –23 goal differential in third periods is simply unacceptable. This is not a rebuilding team, and this is not a young roster learning on the fly. Columbus has plenty of veterans who know how to manage games, protect leads, and make the right decisions late — yet it continues to be a glaring weakness.
Yes, the Blue Jackets earned one point, but that’s not enough. When you’re up by three goals with 24 minutes to play, that game needs to be a win. Period.
There are positives. Mason Marchment, Zach Werenski, and Denton Mateychuk continue to play excellent hockey and drive the team forward. If Columbus can finally learn how to close games, this roster still has the potential to be a dangerous team in the second half of the season, just like it was last year. But until that issue is fixed, the same problems will keep costing them points.
Next Game
The Blue Jackets hit the road next, beginning a four-game road trip on Tuesday, Jan. 6, when they visit the San Jose Sharks at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The trip continues with stops in Vegas, Colorado, and Utah, making it a challenging stretch as Columbus looks to correct its late-game issues.
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