Blue Jackets clinch playoff berth in OT loss to Penguins

COLUMBUS --The Columbus Blue Jackets clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena on Thursday.
Phil Kessel scored his second goal of the game at 1:06 of overtime with a shot from the left circle that went glove-side on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

"It feels good," Kessel said. "It's getting to that time of the year where you have to battle and get wins."
WATCH: [All Penguins vs. Blue Jackets highlights]
Pittsburgh (46-29-6) has 98 points and remains second in the Metropolitan Division by one point over the Blue Jackets and the New Jersey Devils.
The Blue Jackets (45-29-7) are third because they own the second tiebreaker on the Devils: Columbus won the season series 3-1-0. New Jersey holds the first wild card from the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers.
"It's tight. It's been like that all year," Penguins center Sidney Crosby said. "For a lot of those teams, a lot of them are winning games and not really moving very far in the standings. It's been like that for a little bit now. It comes down to the final game, as you'd probably expect."
Columbus has qualified for the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time.
"When we wake up we're going to feel better, we'll be happier," Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois said. "Right now, a loss is a loss. That's a good team over there. Odds are we might be getting them in the playoffs."
Patric Hornqvist had a goal and an assist, Conor Sheary and Kris Letang scored and Matt Murray made 26 saves for the Penguins.

Zach Werenski, Matt Calvert, Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson scored, and Bobrovsky made 38 saves for Columbus.
"We're in every game," Sheary said. "No matter if we're down one or up one we play our best in those tight games."
The Penguins trailed 4-3 before they tied it a fourth time when Sheary made it 4-4 at 12:16 of the third period, scoring on a bank shot from his knees that went off Bobrovsky.
Sheary had the initial attempt on a partial break blocked by Werenski but the puck stayed close to the side of the net.
"It just sat there," Sheary said. "I can't say I tried to bank it off him. I tried to get it on net."
Atkinson scored at 8:25 of the third period to put Columbus ahead 4-3. He put in a rebound of his tipped shot from Pierre-Luc Dubois. Dubois and Artemi Panarin each got their second assist of the game.

Werenski made it 1-0 at 5:11 of the first with a backhander when Murray left the near post open. Werenski has 16 goals.
Kessel evened the score 1-1 at 10:26 on the power play with his 32nd goal.

Calvert put Columbus ahead 2-1 at 12:39, but Hornqvist tied it 2-2 at 15:35 with his 28th goal.
Jenner, on the power play, scored off a cross-ice setup by Thomas Vanek for a 3-2 lead at 6:35 of the second period.
Letang's power-play goal at 2:58 of the third tied it 3-3. He got his ninth goal with a shot from the right circle that went to the upper corner on the far side.
"There's a number of things we could do better but you have to give that team credit," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "They can score goals. They know how to win."

Goal of the game

Kessel's goal at 1:06 of overtime.

Save of the game

Murray's save on Atkinson at 19:49 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Sheary's goal at 12:16 of the third period.

They said it

"There aren't too many guys that are going to score that goal. The puck comes off his stick differently, it just does. He has such a deceptive release. It's so accurate with velocity on it. It's as hard a wrist shot as I've seen." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan on Phil Kessel's overtime goal
"It [stinks] losing the game. It's kind of weird. I'm thrilled for the team, absolutely thrilled for the amount of work they put in. We were almost dead in the water and gone a couple of months ago." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella on clinching a playoff berth

Need to know

Hornqvist has a goal in four straight games and has eight points (five goals, three assists) in a six-game point streak. … Letang tied Sergei Gonchar with four 50-point seasons for the Penguins. Paul Coffey holds the record with five. … Dubois set the Blue Jackets record for points in a season by a rookie, 48 (20 goals, 28 assists). Werenski had 47 last season. … Panarin has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in a five-game point streak … Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson returned after missing 17 games with a knee injury. He had two shots on goal in 9:44.

What's next

Penguins: Host the Ottawa Senators on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET; ATTSN-PT, TSN5, RDS, NHL.TV)
Blue Jackets: At the Nashville Predators on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, FS-O, NHL.TV)