COLUMBUS — The Blue Jackets finally got back on the ice Friday night, and they needed more than 60 minutes to finish the job.
Kent Johnson scored the only goal of the shootout, while Pittsburgh failed on all three attempts, giving Columbus a 3-2 win over the Penguins at Nationwide Arena.
Damon Severson opened the scoring midway through the first period in his season debut. Severson beat Sergei Murashov at 10:52, with Zach Werenski and Cole Sillinger picking up the assists, to give Columbus a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Jackets doubled the advantage in the second period. Mathieu Olivier scored his second goal of the season at 11:40 off assists from Severson and Sillinger, putting Columbus ahead 2-0.
Pittsburgh began its comeback less than three minutes later when Bryan Rust scored at 14:30 of the second. Evgeni Malkin then tied the game just 3:19 into the third period, beating Talbot off an assist from Erik Karlsson.
Neither team scored again in regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Pittsburgh generated the first three shots of the extra period, but Talbot stopped Rust and Sidney Crosby twice before Columbus created several chances of its own late. Zach Werenski had two shots stopped in the final 22 seconds, and Talbot denied Blake Lizotte with three seconds remaining to force the shootout.
Johnson went first for Columbus and scored. That proved to be enough.
Talbot stopped Rickard Rakell and Ben Kindel, while former Blue Jacket Egor Chinakhov missed the net. Sergei Murashov stopped Conor Garland and Charlie Coyle, but Pittsburgh never found an equalizer.
The win moves Columbus to 2-1-0 on the season and gives Talbot a victory in his Blue Jackets debut. Columbus also generated 43 shots compared with 20 for Pittsburgh, controlling large stretches of the game despite allowing the Penguins to erase the two-goal lead.
What’s Next
The Blue Jackets have little time to enjoy the win. Columbus travels to St. Louis to face the Blues Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET in the second half of a back-to-back.
