With two fists and a goal, Boko Imama makes a statement in Penguins' win over Blue Jackets

Matt Vensel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Mar 21, 2025

Published in Hockey

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PITTSBURGH — Think these last dozen games for the lowly Penguins are completely meaningless?

Dare you to walk up to Boko Imama and tell the bruising forward that to his face.

Imama is one of several players who are trying to convince Penguins management that they should remain in Pittsburgh beyond this season. And with two fists and his first goal with the Penguins, Imama stated his case Friday at PPG Paints Arena.

The Bokomotiv made an impact in all three periods of Friday’s 6-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 29-year-old jabbed with a Blue Jackets enforcer in the first period. In the second, Imama buried a momentum-shifting goal. And for good measure, in the third period he threw another big bodycheck on Zach Werenski.

The pending free agent was only an assist shy of a hallowed Gordie Howe hat trick.

Imama and Mathieu Olivier dropped the gloves midway through the opening period. The heavyweight tilt went on for about a minute but few hard blows were landed.

That was the Penguins’ first fighting major since Imama tussled at Utah on Jan. 29. He’s one of five Penguins to fight this season and the only one with multiple scraps.

Boko’s bout pumped up the Penguins and helped them seize a 3-1 lead after one.

In the second period, after the Blue Jackets pulled back within 3-2 with a fluky goal, Imama scored his first goal in 14 games with the Penguins and second as an NHLer.

After Kevin Hayes won a faceoff, Danton Heinen made a heady play to find Imama. He pounded a one-timer from the left circle past Columbus keeper Elvis Merzlikins.

The Penguins would pull away from there, winning for the fifth time in six games.

Pittsburgh started strong, pumping three pucks past Merzlikins in the first period.

Evgeni Malkin gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead 5:28 into the game when he poked the puck off the stick of an unsuspecting Werenski and into the Blue Jackets net.

Noel Acciari whacked in a rebound 8:23 later. Then, after Boone Jenner deflected a shot past Alex Nedeljkovic, their top line scored a tic-tac-toe goal to make it 3-1.

The Blue Jackets pulled back within one early in the second period Conor Timmins accidentally scored on his own net while trying to swat a loose puck out harm’s way.

Imama and Sidney Crosby would restore order and push Pittsburgh’s lead to 5-2.

That would be enough for Nedeljkovic, who played very well in his first start in 14 days. The finest of his 45 saves came with a few minutes left in the game. He did his best Dominik Hasek impersonation with a rollover blocker save on his goal line.

Around the boards

— With two points in Friday’s win, Crosby is just four points away from locking in his 20th straight season of averaging a point per game, which would be an NHL record.

— Malkin’s goal was just the second for the 38-year-old center in the last 10 games.

— Bryan Rust hit an empty net late, giving him his 12th multi-point game this season.

— Kris Letang shifted over to the left side of the top defensive pair to accommodate his new partner, Timmins. His own goal aside, Timmins played another solid game.

— Pittsburgh returned winger Matt Nieto to the American Hockey League on Friday.

— Injured defensemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Ryan Shea skated on an individual basis again Friday. Their timetable to return is still unclear. Forward Tommy Novak resumed skating Thursday but was held off the ice Friday, which was planned. He has now missed five games with the injury that he suffered March 9 at Minnesota.

— Marc Fogel, the local schoolteacher who was recently freed from imprisonment in Russia, attended Friday’s game and received a custom jersey from the Penguins.

Coming up next

The Penguins are scheduled to practice Saturday. Afterwards, they will fly to Florida, where their three-game road trip begins Sunday against the Panthers.