Cam Talbot gave the Columbus Blue Jackets the calm finish they needed Friday, turning aside all three Pittsburgh attempts in the shootout to seal a 3-2 victory over the Penguins at Nationwide Arena.
Talbot stopped 20 shots in his Columbus debut after signing a one-year, $950,000 deal on Sept. 14. The veteran goalie had spent the previous two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
Blue Jackets build the lead
- Damon Severson opened the scoring at 10:52 of the first period, stepping into a one-timer from the left circle after Zach Werenski sent a pass across the ice. It was Severson’s first game of the season; he had missed Columbus’ opening two contests while recovering from shoulder surgery on April 2.
- Mathieu Olivier made it 2-0 at 11:40 of the second. His shot from the right circle slipped in off Sergei Murashov’s skate near the right post.
- Columbus controlled that middle frame, outshooting Pittsburgh 24-7. Murashov kept the Penguins within reach with 23 saves in the period and finished with 44 overall.
Pittsburgh fights back, Talbot closes it
- Bryan Rust pulled Pittsburgh within one at 14:30 of the second period, skating around Severson on his way to the crease before slipping the puck past Talbot’s left pad.
- Evgeni Malkin evened the game 2-2 at 3:19 of the third. Erik Karlsson’s slap shot changed direction off Olivier’s stick, then clipped Malkin amid traffic and fluttered into the net.
- Neither club found the winner in overtime. Kent Johnson scored the only goal in the shootout, and Talbot denied each of Pittsburgh’s three shooters.
Severson finished with a goal and an assist, while Cole Sillinger contributed two assists for Columbus, which improved to 2-1-0.
The Penguins dropped to 2-2-1 and have gone three games without a win, posting an 0-2-1 mark in that stretch. Rust and Malkin supplied the regulation scoring, but Pittsburgh could not solve Talbot after the horn.
