Penguins score late goal to send game to overtime before falling in another shootout to Blue Jackets

King Jemison, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jan 17, 2026

Published in Hockey

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PITTSBURGH — Games between the Blue Jackets and Penguins this season have followed a distinct script. Columbus leads in the third period. Pittsburgh makes a comeback.

And the game goes to overtime.

All four meetings between the teams have stretched past 60 minutes. And they split the season series after the Blue Jackets beat the Penguins, 4-3, in a shootout Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.

Charlie Coyle dealt the final blow, scoring the Jackets’ second shootout goal in four attempts on Arturs Silovs. Egor Chinakhov was the only Penguins skater to score in four tries.

After Columbus took a 3-2 lead late in the second period on a tip-in goal by ex-Penguin Danton Heinen, it looked like the Penguins would end their three-game homestand with a dud of a loss. Silovs hadn’t been very good in net. Pittsburgh couldn’t get anything by his Latvian Olympic teammate Elvis Merzlikins. And then Sidney Crosby did it again.

He redirected a shot by Kris Letang with a minute remaining and the Penguins’ net empty to send it to overtime.

Pittsburgh absolutely peppered Merzlikins in the 3-on-3 period, but the goalie stood on his head to sent it to a shootout.

The Penguins looked sluggish early and allowed a goal 2:42 into the game. Another former Penguin, Zach Aston-Reese, was left alone in front of the net after a faceoff and beat Silovs.

But the home team found their footing and tied the game on Connor Clifton’s first goal (and point) as a Penguin. Tommy Novak hustled for a loose puck behind the net and managed to pop it back to the circle — where Clifton wasted no time rifling a shot past Merzlikins.

The Penguins dominated the period from there. Rickard Rakell gave them a lead at the first intermission on one of the most beautiful goals of the season, as Crosby fired an absolute dime from the corner to Rakell diving in front of the net

Columbus stole momentum and an equalizer early in the second period. Kirill Marchenko sniped a shot over Silovs’ glove after he’d skated past Crosby at the blue line.

The Blue Jackets would take the lead a few minutes later when Heinen, traded from Pittsburgh to Columbus, tipped in a blueline try from Erik Gudbranson to make it 3-2.

The first two periods were not Silovs’ finest showing. He surrendered more than 1.5 goals below expected according to both Moneypuck and Natural Stat Trick.

He recovered to make some huge saves in the third period and overtime.

Merzlikins stymied several Penguins chances from close range throughout the game.

It was over when …

Coyle beat Silovs to send the Penguins to another shootout defeat.

Stat of the game

— 1-7: The Penguins’ shootout record this season. The Blue Jackets are 5-1 — including two wins over Pittsburgh.

Around the boards

— Forward Rutger McGroarty has been cleared for contact after he was placed on injured reserve Jan. 7 and diagnosed with a concussion.

— Defenseman Caleb Jones suffered an upper-body injury Wednesday while on a conditioning loan with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, according to Inside AHL Hockey, and has missed the Baby Penguins’ last two games. He had been working back from an October lower-body injury.

— This was the final meeting of the season between Pittsburgh and Columbus. The Blue Jackets won the first matchup in PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins won both meetings in Columbus with third-period comebacks. All four went to overtime.

— Two players involved in Penguins December trades were in the lineup for Columbus on Saturday. Heinen, sent to the Blue Jackets in the deal that brought Chinakhov to Pittsburgh, played on the fourth line and scored Columbus’ third goal.

Egor Zamula — traded to Pittsburgh by Philadelphia in exchange for Philip Tomasino — played on the Blue Jackets’ third defensive pair. He was suspended for not reporting to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after the trade and then had his contract terminated. The PPG Paints Arena crowd gave him a light smattering of boos when he had the puck.

Up next

The Penguins head west for a four-game road trip, starting Monday at Seattle for a 5 p.m. puck drop. They’ll also play at Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Pittsburgh’s next home game is Jan. 29 against Chicago.