The Penguins rallied back against Columbus on Saturday when they got a last-minute goal from captain Sidney Crosby that sent the game into overtime. They generated a lot, but ultimately came away with one point, falling to the Blue Jackets in the shootout, 4-3.
“It was a tight game. We had chances,” Crosby said. “They had some chances. I mean, it was pretty even, relative to the score. Even in overtime, we possessed the puck a lot. Unfortunately, couldn't get the next one.”
Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel and Tommy Novak all had looks, but Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was there each time with some remarkable stops.
“He made some good saves,” Rust said. “He made some athletic saves. Give him some credit.”
In the third period, and trailing 3-2 in the game, Pittsburgh tilted the ice as they searched for an answer. With Arturs Silovs pulled, the Penguins got a huge goal from Crosby with an assist from Kris Letang that sent the game into overtime.
“We came out with push, and I think it was kind of only a matter of time,” Rust said. “We got a lot of chances. Six-on-five, I thought we just got in there, outworked them, and (Letang) made a nice play to Sid.”
While the Blue Jackets were able to get the game’s first goal just under three minutes into the first period, the Penguins found their legs and got to work in the offensive zone. Halfway through, Malkin and Novak worked to come away with possession and the puck landed on the stick of Connor Clifton. He scored his first goal as a Penguin.
“It was a great forecheck,” Clifton said. “Whoever it was, (the puck) came right to me. I got a good chance there, followed up the play, and luckily, I was fortunate that it went in.”
After only playing in 18 out of the team’s first 46 games this season, Clifton entered the lineup in the absence of Erik Karlsson and has started to build a comfort level.
“I felt good the past couple of games, and when you miss extended time, it’s hard to find that confidence,” Clifton said. “But I have found it, I just want to keep building that. Just got to keep it up.”
Pittsburgh once again utilized its strong forecheck against the Columbus defenders when Crosby intercepted the puck along the boards and found Rickard Rakell in front with a tap-in for his seventh goal of the season.
While the Penguins outshot the Blue Jackets 10-4 in the first period, Columbus came out strong in the second, scoring two goals and carrying much of the momentum.
“It was a combination of too slow and poor execution, at times,” Head Coach Dan Muse said. “Our breakouts were slower. We were slowing it down. We would hesitate before we moved it up ice, and they're an aggressive team. That allowed them to get right on top of us.”
Although the Penguins scored the tying goal in the third period, Silovs still made several timely saves that kept them in the game. In overtime, Silovs had his biggest of the night with an extended left pad save on Charlie Coyle.
“I thought he played well,” Muse said. “I thought there were some huge saves at the end. It was a close game, and there were a number of times there, thinking to myself, ‘we’re going to look back and remember that save’ a few times there in the third.”
While the Penguins were able to get a big goal from Egor Chinakhov against his old team in the shootout, the Blue Jackets ultimately came out on top in the fourth round from Coyle’s attempt.
Pittsburgh finished their three-game homestand with four out of six points in the standings, and will embark on a four-game road trip starting in Seattle on Monday.
“You want to win in a shootout. We played a really good overtime,” Silovs said. “Scoring a late goal in [the] third to tie the game, get the big point. And yeah, for sure. After that, you want to win the game. But things happen the way they happen, and just get it ready for [the] next one.”
