NHL

Fri, Oct 30, 2009 - 7:00 PM ET
Game Recap
 

Penguins stay mighty on road, beat Blue Jackets

Share This Story

     
 

COLUMBUS, Ohio

The big pads circled the puck and Steve Mason thought he had it corraled. Then it started tumbling away, wobbling inches over the goal line. Pittsburgh scored twice in the final 3 minutes of regulation to tie it and Sidney Crosby's shot barely crossed the line in the shootout to lift the Penguins to a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night. "It was kind of a fluky. The puck kept going," Crosby said. "I don't know if he lost it or he didn't know where it was or whatever. I just tried a quick shot. I thought he had the save there. It just trickled in." Mason couldn't believe the puck eluded him. "It hit my stick, and I didn't get it settled until it was over the line," he said. "It just trickled over, and I was too late on it." Brent Johnson stopped 29 shots before the shootout, then stymied Antoine Vermette, Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius in the tiebreaker. The Penguins improved to 6-0-0 on the road, the franchise's best start ever away from home. Ruslan Fedotenko and Alex Goligoski scored late goals in a 39-second span to tie it. Chris Kunitz also had a short-handed goal and an assist. Crosby added two assists. Kunitz said that even when it was 3-1 and time was running out that Crosby remained a positive influence. "It shows a lot of character from our captain. He goes out and he's never quitting on anything," Kunitz said. "Sometimes a team goes packing, down by two with 3 minutes left. But he goes out, he's on the bench, he's saying, 'Let's get the next one.' So we go out there and he finds himself the puck and he gets it to (Goligoski), he gets a great shot and puts it in the net to get us to overtime." Nash had two goals - one while on his knees - and Derek Dorsett his first of the season for the Blue Jackets, who lost their third in a row. "We're not closing games," Nash said. "We got the lead in a lot of the games already and just can't seem to close it out. They are the defending Stanley Cup champions. You can tell why they're such a good team. We are a team that needs to learn how to play with the lead." Columbus led 3-1 before Fedotenko netted a rebound at the left circle off a wide shot from the right point by Martin Skoula with 2:56 left. With the Penguins suddenly buzzing, Goligoski took a feed from Crosby seconds later, teed it up in the high slot and beat Mason glove side to knot the score. "It should have never got to the shootout," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We did everything well but get the game shut down." The Penguins were playing without center Evgeni Malkin. Sidelined by a strained right shoulder, he missed his first game in three years. With a large portion of the capacity crowd of 19,136 cheering for the Penguins, the Blue Jackets slowly built a two-goal lead. Nash broke through late in the first on the power play. He collected the puck behind the cage and tried a wraparound, the puck sliding to the right wing where Derick Brassard's wrister was blocked by Johnson. Nash had skated to the slot and was knocked down. While still on his knees, the rebound came to him and he jammed the puck in for his seventh of the season. After Nash made it 2-0, Kunitz was knocked down on a breakaway but there was no call. Seconds later, he ended up with the puck at the left doorstep and lifted it high over Mason's glove. Dorsett then returned the two-goal lead. The Penguins woke up just in time. "It felt like in the third we just kept generating chances," Crosby said. "We all felt confident we could get ourselves back in it with the way we were playing, the momentum we had." NOTES: The Penguins wore their baby blue third jerseys for the first time on the road since the 2008 Winter Classic in Buffalo, a 2-1 shootout victory. ... A video clip of Colorado's Adam Foote getting leveled on a check - he forced a trade to leave Columbus at the trade deadline in 2008 - was met with loud cheers. ... Goligoski has goals in three straight games, while Crosby stretched his points streak to six in a row.
Tagged: Penguins, Blue Jackets

Related Stories

Play Hockey Simulation Game on WhatIfSports


Trending Now

NHL Videos

Highlights: TOR/PHI Posted: Feb 10, 2012
Watch highlights of the Flyers' 4-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

Highlights: VAN/MIN Posted: Feb 10, 2012
Watch highlights of the Canucks' 5-2 win over the Wild.

The Big House Classic Posted: Feb 10, 2012
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announces where the 2013 Winter Classic will be he...

Fox Sports Store

    itemName itemURL imageSrc price itemDescription
    Reebok Pittsburgh Penguins #87 Sidney Crosby Black Premier Hockey Jersey http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Pittsburgh_Penguins/browse/featuredproduct/175178/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_175000/FF_175178_xl.jpg&w=100 159.95 Reebok Pittsburgh Penguins #87 Sidney Crosby Black Premier Hockey Jersey
    Reebok Dallas Stars White Premier Hockey Jersey http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Dallas_Stars/browse/featuredproduct/243363/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_243000/FF_243363_xl.jpg&w=100 124.95 Reebok Dallas Stars White Premier Hockey Jersey
    Reebok Tampa Bay Lightning Primary Logo T-Shirt - Royal Blue http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Tampa_Bay_Lightning/browse/featuredproduct/301017/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_301000/ff_301017_xl.jpg&w=100 19.95 Reebok Tampa Bay Lightning Primary Logo T-Shirt - Royal Blue
    Majestic Anaheim Ducks Black Official Logo Full Zip Hoody Sweatshirt http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Anaheim_Ducks/browse/featuredproduct/398322/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_398000/FF_398322_xl.jpg&w=100 54.95 Majestic Anaheim Ducks Black Official Logo Full Zip Hoody Sweatshirt
    Detroit Red Wings Youth Black Southpaw Backpack http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Detroit_Red_Wings/browse/featuredproduct/403205/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_403000/FF_403205_xl.jpg&w=100 24.95 Detroit Red Wings Youth Black Southpaw Backpack
    Reebok Chicago Blackhawks #88 Patrick Kane Red Premier Hockey Jersey http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Chicago_Blackhawks/browse/featuredproduct/408123/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_408000/FF_408123_xl.jpg&w=100 159.95 Reebok Chicago Blackhawks #88 Patrick Kane Red Premier Hockey Jersey
    Majestic New Jersey Devils Red Felt Tek Patch Pullover Hoody Sweatshirt http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_New_Jersey_Devils/browse/featuredproduct/456774/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_456000/ff_456774_xl.jpg&w=100 54.95 Majestic New Jersey Devils Red Felt Tek Patch Pullover Hoody Sweatshirt
    Vancouver Canucks 2011 NHL Western Conference Champions Hockey Stick http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Vancouver_Canucks/browse/featuredproduct/665779/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_665000/ff_665779_xl.jpg&w=100 11.95 Vancouver Canucks 2011 NHL Western Conference Champions Hockey Stick
    Reebok San Jose Sharks In-Stick-Tive T-Shirt - Black http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_San_Jose_Sharks/browse/featuredproduct/700543/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_700000/ff_700543_xl.jpg&w=100 17.95 Reebok San Jose Sharks In-Stick-Tive T-Shirt - Black
    Majestic New York Islanders Royal Blue Felt Tek Patch Pullover Hoodie Sweatshirt http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_New_York_Islanders/browse/featuredproduct/752594/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_752000/ff_752594_xl.jpg&w=100 59.95 Majestic New York Islanders Royal Blue Felt Tek Patch Pullover Hoodie Sweatshirt