FINAL: Penguins 3, Blue Jackets 0

Columbus (37-27-3) just couldn't get enough offense going Thursday night at Pittsburgh (36-22-9), suffering a 3-0 loss to their Metropolitan Division rivals in PPG Paints Arena.
Game in a Paragraph
Columbus played a solid game but couldn't capitalize on its chances while Pittsburgh did. The Penguins scored a power-play goal just 2:22 into the game, then tallied with 1:13 left in the second to make it 2-0. The Jackets penalty kill was strong in the third, but Columbus couldn't get a goal despite pushing in the last 10 minutes before an empty-net goal sealed it.

Quote of the Game
Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella: "I thought our effort was much better tonight. I thought we did some really good things, but we just didn't win the game. You're not going to win a game if you don't score a goal."
Quick Recap
Pittsburgh got off to a quick start just 2:22 into the game with Phil Kessel's first goal since Jan. 30. With Scott Harrington boxed for tripping, a slap shot from the point was deflected down in the crease behind Joonas Korpisalo. The CBJ goalie was able to kick it out but was caught at his left post, and Evgeni Malkin played the puck to Kessel at the opposite post to bank it in off Korpisalo before he could recover.
But from there, Columbus settled in and had a 10-4 edge in shots on goal in the first period, including keeping Pittsburgh from getting one the last 11:45 of the frame. The Blue Jackets' best chance came with five minutes remaining when Josh Anderson drilled a rebound off the crossbar.
Pittsburgh had a pair of chances early in the second, as Korpisalo stopped a breakaway by Malkin then David Savard tied up Jake Guentzel before the CBJ killer could get to a rebound in the crease.

Then with 10:17 gone in the period, Nick Foligno and Garrett Wilson dropped the gloves. Adam McQuaid and Patric Hornqvist got tied up behind the play and McQuaid wasn't happy, with the series of events escalating until the CBJ captain and Pittsburgh fourth-liner dropped the gloves. Wilson was left bleeding from the forehead, and each got five minutes for fighting.
There were some good chances down the stretch of the period, with Matt Murray having to make a rebound stop on Savard and Korpisalo denying Nick Bjugstad in short order.
But Bjugstad would get on the board shortly thereafter, making it 2-0 with 1:13 left in the second. Korpisalo had already made two saves on the shift, but Bjugstad took a feed from Jared McCann in the middle of the ice, dug it out of traffic, then fired a forehand shot through the legs of Korpisalo.
Penalties five seconds apart to Foligno and Boone Jenner early in the third led to the Jackets having to kill 1:55 down two men, but Korpisalo made big stops on Malkin and Hornqvist and Justin Schultz hit the post, so it stayed a 2-0 game.
Columbus got a power-play chance with 6:59 to go and nearly scored, but the best chance was a blast by Atkinson where the rebound squibbed just wide of the post behind Murray. The team finished 0-3 on the power play.
The Blue Jackets also had some chances with the goalie pulled, but Murray stoned Matt Duchene on one look and then also stopped Seth Jones to preserve the shutout. Sidney Crosby then scored an empty-net goal with 30.8 seconds left, giving him six goals and 14 points in his last six games.
By the Numbers
Columbus fell to 14-8-1 vs. Metropolitan Division foes, 20-11-1 on the road and 14-3 on Thursdays. … Pittsburgh has won eight straight regular-season games vs. Columbus and seven straight against the Blue Jackets in PPG Paints Arena. … Evgeni Malkin has points in eight straight games vs. Columbus. … Columbus stopped 4 of 5 Pittsburgh power plays and is now 64-of-70 on the kill in the last 29 games. ... The Blue Jackets have nine goals in six games since the trade deadline. ... Murray made 25 saves in his shutout while Korpisalo had 28. ... Jones played 28:50.
Roster Report
Columbus scratched Sergei Bobrovsky as part of an off day for the goaltender. Riley Nash entered the forward unit in place of Markus Hannikainen and Adam McQuaid went in for Dean Kukan. Scratches were Bobrovsky, Hannikainen, Kukan, Eric Robinson and Lukas Sedlak
Up Next
The Blue Jackets and Penguins face off again Saturday night at Nationwide Arena in a 7 p.m. start.