Kent Johnson settles Blue Jackets’ 3-2 shootout win after Murashov drags Penguins to the brink

An early cushion disappeared, then returned in the tiebreaker

Columbus earned its first lead at 10:52 of the opening period when Damon Severson scored on a snap shot, with Zach Werenski and Cole Sillinger drawing the assists. It was a useful start for a home side that would spend much of the night piling up attempts, and it gave Severson a two-point evening before regulation was even over.

The Blue Jackets doubled the margin at 11:40 of the second period. Mathieu Olivier finished a snap shot for his second goal of the season, with Severson and Sillinger each picking up another assist. That made it 2-0 and put Columbus in control on the scoreboard, but Pittsburgh answered before the intermission could lock the game down.

Bryan Rust cut the deficit to 2-1 at 14:30 of the second, finishing a snap shot off a Samuel Girard assist. Early in the third, Evgeni Malkin tied it at 3:19 on a deflection set up by Erik Karlsson. From there the game stayed level through the rest of regulation and overtime, leaving Johnson to supply the only finish that counted in the shootout.

Murashov turned Columbus pressure into a one-shot finish

The clearest number in this game was the shot gap. Columbus put 45 pucks on net to Pittsburgh’s 22, and Murashov was the main reason that advantage did not decide the result long before the tiebreaker. His 43 saves produced a .956 save percentage and gave the Penguins a path to a standings point despite spending the night under far heavier volume.

Columbus did not lean on one shooter alone. Charlie Coyle led the Blue Jackets with seven shots, Dmitri Voronkov had five, Olivier added four, and Severson and Werenski each put three on goal from the blue line. Sillinger did not score, but his two assists made him one of the central figures in the comeback-proofing that almost happened in regulation.

At the other end, Cam Talbot saw far less work and stopped 20 of 22 shots. Pittsburgh still found enough finishing to erase a two-goal hole, but the Penguins were chasing the puck in several categories. Columbus won 30 faceoffs to 15, delivered 21 hits to Pittsburgh’s nine, and forced a game that repeatedly ran through its attack. The Blue Jackets also had four power-play chances, though Murashov and the Penguins penalty killers kept all of them off the board.

Our take: Columbus deserved the extra point, but it left work unfinished

Our take: this was the kind of game Columbus had to finish earlier. A 45-22 edge in shots, a two-thirds share of the faceoffs and a 2-0 lead are usually enough to spare a team the uncertainty of overtime and a shootout. The Blue Jackets earned the extra point because they kept creating chances and eventually got Johnson’s winner, but the power play going 0-for-4 kept the door open longer than it needed to stay open.

There was also plenty here for Pittsburgh to respect, beginning with Murashov’s night in goal. The Penguins were outshot badly and lost the faceoff battle 66.7 per cent to 33.3 per cent, yet still pushed the game all the way to the skills competition. Malkin’s third goal of the season and Rust’s second were timely finishes, and Karlsson and Girard each contributed key assists. If Pittsburgh is looking for cleaner evenings, the 17 giveaways and limited 22-shot output are the numbers to trim first.

For Columbus, the most encouraging detail may be that its best work was spread across the lineup. Severson finished with a goal and an assist, Sillinger added two assists, Werenski logged 29:36 and Johnson delivered the deciding play when the night narrowed to a single attempt. The result rewarded the Blue Jackets for carrying more of the play, but it also underlined a simple truth: when a goalie is this sharp, territorial control still has to be matched by a firmer finish.

Scoring moments

1. 1st · 10:52

   Damon Severson Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Zach Werenski (3), Cole Sillinger (1)

2. 2nd · 11:40

   Mathieu Olivier Goal (2) Snap Shot, assists: Damon Severson (1), Cole Sillinger (2)

3. 2nd · 14:30

   Bryan Rust Goal (2) Snap Shot, assists: Samuel Girard (4)

4. 3rd · 3:19

   Evgeni Malkin Goal (3) Deflected, assists: Erik Karlsson (5)

5. SO · 0:00

   Kent Johnson Goal Snap Shot