Blue Jackets allow three unanswered goals in overtime loss to Penguins – The Hockey Writers Latest news, analysis and more

The Columbus Blue Jackets once again jumped out to a multiple-goal lead in a game. They allowed the opposition to come back all over again.

Kris Letang scored 59 seconds into overtime to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jackets in front of a sold-out crowd on Black Friday at the Nationwide Arena. Sidney Crosby scored twice, including the tying goal midway through the third period.

The story of this game was something that no one wants to talk about anymore.

Summary of the game

It was the Penguins who opened the scoring after 6:10. During a scramble, the puck found Letang’s stick. But instead of shooting, he saw Crosby open on the side of the net. Letang’s pass was deflected past Jet Greaves by Crosby for the 1-0 lead.

From that point on, the Blue Jackets turned the momentum in their favor. They scored the next three goals of the match.

Sean Monahan was able to get a rebound before Tristan Jarry could play the puck. That goal made it 1-1. That was the score after the first period.

The Blue Jackets led 2-1 thanks to the first-ever shorthanded goal of Brendan Gaunce’s career. Miles Wood made the piece possible. He waited for a penguin and slid the puck to Gaunce, who finished it.

Then, in what could have been a grueling goal, Zach Werenski scored his ninth of the season with less than four seconds to play in the second period. Charlie Coyle got the puck in the corner and found Werenski. That assist for Coyle was the 500th point of his NHL career.

Leading 3–1 in the third period, the Blue Jackets had another chance to put a game away. Instead, they conceded a goal after just thirteen seconds. For most of the entire period, the momentum seemed to change.

Bryan Rust, who limped to the locker room at the end of the second inning, scored to cut the score to 3-2. The Penguins had momentum. They won races. They won the most fights. That ultimately helped them tie the game.

Tommy Novak sent the puck into the Blue Jackets zone. Crosby let the puck come off the boards towards Greaves. He reached the puck and made a move to beat Greaves for the 3-3.

The match was not decided according to the rules. Then, early in OT, Novak was at it again. This time he found Letang and scored the winner, giving the Penguins their 4-3 win.

Jarry made a pair of key saves in the third to secure the tie. He made 26 saves that night. Greaves stopped 20 of 24 on the night.

The Blue Jackets have a day off on Saturday. They return to practice Sunday morning ahead of their game Monday in Newark against the New Jersey Devils. Meanwhile, the Penguins are ready again on Saturday when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at PPG Paints Arena.