The Pittsburgh Penguins came out swinging Thursday night, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. After a frustrating three-game stretch without a win and just two goals to show for it, the Pens erupted for six goals against the Philadelphia Flyers-reminding everyone that this team still has the firepower to hang in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Now, with the Columbus Blue Jackets coming to town Saturday night, Pittsburgh has a chance to keep that momentum rolling. Puck drops just after 7 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena, and yes, Jeff Jimmerson will be on hand for the anthem-because some things in Pittsburgh are sacred.
Offensive Breakthrough
Let’s start with the obvious: the Penguins' offense finally woke up. Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Flyers wasn’t just a much-needed two points-it was a statement.
Pittsburgh jumped out early with two first-period goals and never looked back. The scoreboard read 6-1 deep into the third before the Flyers tacked on a couple of late, cosmetic goals.
Justin Brazeau continued his breakout season with his 13th goal, a power-play tally that got things rolling. Bryan Rust, Egor Chinakhov, Blake Lizotte, Sidney Crosby, and Connor Dewar all found the back of the net, showcasing the kind of scoring depth this team has been searching for.
Crosby, as he’s done his entire career, tormented the Flyers once again with a two-point night. He wasn’t alone in the production column-Tommy Novak and Evgeni Malkin each picked up a pair of assists, and the power play was humming, going 3-for-4. After weeks of inconsistency, this was the kind of performance that could re-ignite a playoff push.
Steady Between the Pipes
Stuart Skinner quietly delivered another solid outing, stopping 30 of 33 shots. He’s now posted a save percentage north of .900 in five straight starts. For a team trying to claw its way up the Metro Division standings, that kind of consistency in net is invaluable.
Columbus Heating Up Under New Leadership
The Blue Jackets come in on a bit of a heater themselves. Since making a coaching change-replacing Dean Evason with Rick Bowness on a short-term deal-they’ve rattled off three straight wins. Most recently, they took down the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 on Thursday.
Columbus got goals from Charlie Coyle, Kirill Marchenko, Zach Werenski, and Brent Johnson, while Elvis Merzlikins stood tall with 30 saves on 31 shots. It’s a team playing with renewed energy, and they’ll be looking to keep that streak alive in Pittsburgh.
Head-to-Head History Favors the Penguins
If history is any indication, the Penguins should feel confident heading into this one. They’ve earned points in 18 of their last 19 games against Columbus (14-1-4) dating back to late 2019.
And at home? They’ve been downright dominant-riding an 18-game home point streak (16-0-2) against the Blue Jackets that dates all the way back to 2015.
That’s the longest active home point streak against a single opponent in the NHL and tied for the longest in Penguins franchise history.
One more point Saturday, and they’ll set a new franchise record, surpassing their 18-game home point streak against Atlanta/Winnipeg from 2007 to 2019.
Playoff Picture and What’s at Stake
The Penguins currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division, tied with the Washington Capitals at 54 points-but with two games in hand. With the standings tightening and the playoff race heating up, every point matters. Beating a surging Columbus team would not only keep Pittsburgh in the mix-it could help create some breathing room.
And these two teams are no strangers this season. In their last meeting on Jan. 4, the Penguins erased a 4-1 deficit with three unanswered goals and won it in overtime.
They also edged Columbus 4-3 in OT back on Nov. 28.
If nothing else, we’ve learned to expect drama when these two get together.
Lineup Notes and Special Teams Edge
Here’s how both squads are expected to line up:
Penguins Projected Lines
- Rickard Rakell - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
- Egor Chinakhov - Tommy Novak - Evgeni Malkin
- Anthony Mantha - Ben Kindel - Justin Brazeau
- Connor Dewar - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Defense
- Brett Kulak - Kris Letang
- Parker Wotherspoon - Jack St. Ivany
- Ryan Shea - Connor Clifton
Goalie: Arturs Silovs (expected)
Blue Jackets Projected Lines
- Cole Sillinger - Adam Fantilli - Kirill Marchenko
- Boone Jenner - Sean Monahan - Kent Johnson
- Dmitri Voronkov - Charlie Coyle - Mathieu Olivier
- Danton Heinen - Brendan Gaunce - Mikael Pyyhtia
Defense
- Zach Werenski - Dante Fabbro
- Ivan Provorov - Damon Severson
- Jake Christiansen - Erik Gudbranson
Goalie: Jet Greaves (expected)
Columbus will likely be without Shayne Gostisbehere, a key offensive piece on the blue line, but Erik Gudbranson is back in the lineup after missing time with injury.
Special teams could be a major factor. The Penguins’ power play has quietly climbed to second in the league at 29.4%, and their penalty kill is no slouch either, ranking sixth at 83.2%.
Columbus, meanwhile, sits middle-of-the-pack on the power play (20.3%) but struggles on the PK, ranking 29th at just 74.2%. If Pittsburgh can draw penalties, they’ll have a real opportunity to tilt the game in their favor.
Penguins Trending Up
A few more notes worth highlighting:
- The Penguins have killed off 16 straight penalties over their last four games-an encouraging trend as the intensity ramps up.
- Egor Chinakhov has made an immediate impact since joining the team, with four points (including three goals) in his first eight games.
Only Crosby has more goals in that span.
- Ben Kindel, still just 18, picked up his 20th point of the season Thursday.
He becomes just the sixth player in franchise history to hit that mark at his age.
- Crosby’s 25 goals are tied for the most in the Eastern Conference and fifth overall in the league.
Only Nathan MacKinnon has more, with 36.
Final Word
This is the kind of game that can help define a stretch run. The Penguins showed Thursday they’re capable of putting it all together-and they’ll need more of that to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt. Columbus is playing inspired hockey under a new coach, but Pittsburgh’s experience, special teams edge, and home-ice dominance in this matchup give them every reason to believe they can keep climbing.