Penguins Start Slow, Wilt Late in SO Loss to Columbus

The Pittsburgh Penguins started their game against Columbus Tuesday evening the way they have so many others this season.

Poorly.

They finished it in a decidedly different way than they had every other time the Blue Jackets had come to PPG Paints Arena in recent years.

With a loss.

The Penguins’ 4-3 shootout defeat by Columbus ended their run of 15 consecutive victories on home ice against the Blue Jackets.

Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Blue Jackets in the shootout, while Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby of the Penguins failed to beat Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins.

The loss dropped the Penguins’ record to 17-17-8 and leaves them in a tie with Columbus in a cluster of teams fighting for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The game went to overtime after the Penguins, who have struggled to protect leads all season, gave up two goals in the final eight minutes of regulation.

The Pittsburgh Penguins played without second-line center Evgeni Malkin, who took part in the game-day skate but did not dress for the game. Per the team, he has an unspecified upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

With Malkin out of the mix, Cody Glass took over in the middle of the No. 2 line, with Michael Bunting and Anthony Beauvillier on his wings.

Crosby became the NHL’s all-time leader in faceoff victories when he controlled a draw during the second period, giving him 15,183, one more than former Boston forward Patrice Bergeron.

Penguins winger Rickard Rakell broke a 1-1 tie 24 seconds into the third period, beating Merzlikins high on the glove side from above the left dot. Assists on the goal, Rakell’s 19th, went to Erik Karlsson and Matt Grzelcyk.

Rakell struck again at 10:09, throwing a shot past Merzlikins from the inner edge of the left circle after getting a feed from Crosby, who was below the goal line.

Columbus countered quickly, however, as Dmitri Voronkov got his second of the game from the right side of the crease at 12:05.

The Blue Jackets pulled even with a power-play goal at 17:24, while Blake Lizotte was serving a slashing minor.

Adam Fantilli got the goal, deflecting a Johnson pass behind Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry while standing in the slot to force overtime.

Merzlikins got the game to a shootout with several quality stops in overtime, including a glove save on Crosby from close range.

Karlsson had been assessed an interference minor at 2:53 of the opening period, and the Blue Jackets needed just 27 seconds to capitalize on that man-advantage.

Voronkov was left unchecked in front of the Penguins’ crease and directed a Kirill Marchenko feed past Jarry.

Columbus scored on its first shot, something Penguins opponents have done nine times in the first 42 games this season. Six of those have gone in against Jarry, two against Alex Nedeljkovic and one against Joel Blomqvist.

Jarry stopped the next six the Blue Jackets threw at him over the balance of the period. The Penguins managed to launch just three at Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins during those 20 minutes.

They got a chance with the power play when Voronkov was sent off for hooking with 51.5 seconds to go before the intermission and turned it into a tying goal less than a minute into the second.

Bunting got the goal, his 13th, 51 seconds after the intermission. He set up in front of Merzlikins and steered in a feed from Crosby, who appeared to shank a shot attempt from inside the right circle.

Karlsson received the second assist on that goal, Bunting’s career-high eighth on the power play and the only score by either team during that period.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to practice Wednesday at noon at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.