The Blue Jackets took to the ice tonight against the Penguins in Pittsburgh, less than 24 hours after losing 5-1 at home to the Washington Capitals.
Last year, they struggled mightily on the second half of back-to-back starts, With 15 such occurrences this season, finding some more points in the second half of these has to be an area of focus for this team.
Tonight was a good start in the right direction. The Blue Jackets fell behind early in this one, with the Penguins scoring just 59 seconds into the game. But they battled back and for the next 64 minutes, gave the Penguins all they could handle.
Ryan Shea put the home team on the board with the first shot of the game. He skated down the left wing with plenty of time, and fired a puck past a screened Elvis Merzlikins.
Despite the early goal, the Jackets found momentum and played a very strong period. They set the pace of the game and got the tying marker at 15:40, with Charlie Coyle scoring his first goal in Union Blue on a rebound of a Dante Fabbro shot.
The Penguins retook the lead just 2:21 later, with Anthony Mantha beating Merzlikins just over the pad on a long shot off the rush. This could have been a back-breaking goal, with the Jackets playing so well but giving up a softie. Thankfully, it didn't seem to affect them too much.
The first period would come to an end with a 2-1 Penguins lead, despite a 16-7 shots advantage the other way. Hockey can be a weird sport in that regard. The key is not letting the game slip away.
The Jackets nearly did that in the second, with the Penguins getting several quality looks on the CBJ net. But, Merzlikins atoned for his mistake with some big saves, stood tall and helped his team regain some momentum.
The Jackets battled some adversity, and found a way to get back even in a tough environment. Dmitri Voronkov was able to tie the game at 17:39 on a one-timer, after a terrific won battle and a great pass from Kent Johnson.
With the game tied after 40 minutes, all they had to do was win the third period. Early indications were very promising, as they came out buzzing and again taking a big advantage in puck possession.
The Jackets got their first lead of the night just 1:55 into the third, as Yegor Chinakhov ripped off his first goal of the season. He found some open space in the high slot and was able to walk into his patented wrister, beating Arturs Silovs high to the glove side.
They doubled the lead just 2:59 later, with Voronkov picking up his second of the night. Sean Monahan sent a pass across the top of the crease, which Big Boss deflected in to make it 4-2.
But, we have been here before. This is the Blue Jackets, and this game was in Pittsburgh. We know what that team is capable of, and they reminded us again tonight. Right on cue, the momentum shifted heavily into the CBJ end in the last 10 minutes.
The Penguins were able cut the lead to 4-3 at 14:54, with Kris Letang scoring on a late power-play. Tnen, they tied it exactly 2 minutes later on a goal by Bryan Rust.
Despite the Blue Jackets again playing a very strong 5 on 5 game, they were unable to get the win in regulation. We would head to overtime tied at 4, with regulation ending to a 37-26 shots advantage for the Jackets.
Overtime was played at a breakneck pace, and again it felt like the CBJ had the better possession and chances. But, neither team was able to close this one out, so a shootout was required on this night.
All three shooters found the net for the Jackets in the shootout. Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, and Kirill Marchenko all beat Silovs with their chances. Elvis was beaten by Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby, before Evgeni Malkin fired wide on his shot, sealing the game for the Jackets.
Three Standouts
1. Dmitri Voronkov. Big Boss scored twice, but overall he looks like a different player this year. He's moving quicker, which makes him a lethal two-way player with his all-around hockey sense. He was very noticeable tonight.
2. Denton Mateychuk. Still paired with Zach Werenski, Denton does not look like a sophomore player in this league. He didn't find the scoresheet, but he was extremely active, playing over 21 minutes with 4 shots, 4 hits and a +1 rating.
3. Yegor Chinakhov. Just over a week after looking completely disinterested in the game of hockey, Chinny has found it again. I don't see how Dean Evason can pull this guy out of the lineup when Miles Wood returns to health - especially not after seeing that shot in the third period.
This one was far from pretty, but in the end, it's a massive 2 points in a building where they had only won one game since 2015. On the second half of a back-to-back with travel, this is a terrific outcome.
The Jackets are now off until Tuesday night, when they return home to face the Buffalo Sabres. That kicks off another back-to-back with travel, so hopefully they can recover and prepare for a couple of tough battles in quick succession.