Pittsburg, PA
Winning Thoughts: Blue Jackets stick with it to earn two points in Pittsburgh | Columbus Blue Jackets
After CBJ wins, we’ll give three takeaways about what stood out or what we’ll remember from the Blue Jackets’ victory.
BLUE JACKETS 5, PENGUINS 4 (SHOOTOUT)
1. In a crazy game, the Blue Jackets showed their resilience yet again.
Saturday night had just about everything – eight goals, two reviews, a fight, some dramatic saves and, finally, a shootout.
And considering just how back-and-forth it was, one of the key factors that allowed the Blue Jackets to leave Pittsburgh with a rare win was how the Blue Jackets kept their heads on their shoulders.
That might sound a little crazy considering Columbus led by a 4-2 score with 10 minutes to go, then proceeded to do exactly what you don’t want to do in that situation. The Blue Jackets took back-to-back penalties, leading to a power-play goal by Kris Letang that cut the lead to one, before the Penguins got an extra-attacker tally to tie it with 3:06 to go.
Columbus had largely dominated the puck throughout – they had a 36-15 advantage in shots on goal at 5-on-5 – but the late penalties allowed the Penguins to get back in the game and got PPG Paints Arena rocking.
So, yes, that wasn’t ideal, and what did most CBJ fans think after Bryan Rust’s tying goal? Likely: Well, we’ve seen this movie before, and we don’t like the ending.
But it wasn’t over, in large part because the Blue Jackets stuck with it. It wasn’t always perfect – see Ivan Provorov’s heroic save of a shot off the line in overtime – but the Jackets had their chances as well before Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko went good morning, good afternoon and good night in the shootout. It marked just the fourth time in team history the Jackets went 3-for-3 in a shootout and the first since 2011.
“I think there’s some perseverance obviously by the group,” head coach Dean Evason said. “Our commitment was fantastic, and our composure was good when it could have went sideways again. They held their composure, and we were able to get the job done.”
2. There were several CBJ standouts in this one, but how about the play of Yegor Chinakhov and Dmitri Voronkov?
As the Blue Jackets were summoned for postgame questions in the PPG Paints Arena locker room, two players made sense to chat.
There was Dmitri Voronkov, whose sixth career two-goal game was a huge part of the victory. And then there was Yegor Chinakhov, who was a healthy scratch to start the season but has built his game over the past few contests and put the Blue Jackets ahead in the third period with his first tally of the season.
There’s also the little issue of Voronkov not speaking much English, so Chinakhov did double duty. First, he answered questions about his game, then he served as a translator for Voronkov.
As for Chinakhov, his play has taken a notable step up in the past few contests. After he notched a single shot on goal in his first two contests after stepping in for the injured Miles Wood, Chinakhov has nine in the last three games, and his wired wrist shot past goalie Arturs Silovs just 1:55 into the third period put the Jackets up 3-2. It was vintage Chinakhov, who has the quick release and heavy shot to beat goalies clean from almost anywhere in the offensive zone.
“I like scoring,” Chinakhov said. “It feels great. I love the hockey, so I just try to be better every day.”
Pittsburg, PA
Jack McGregor, original founder of Pittsburgh Penguins, dies at 91
Jack McGregor, a former state senator and the original founder of the Pittsburgh Penguins, died at the age of 91 on Tuesday. The organization announced the news in a post on social media on Thursday.
“The team extends our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time,” a post on X said.
No other information was provided in the post, which was shared before the team’s game at PPG Paints Arena against the New Jersey Devils.
According to his biography on the United States Senate Library, McGregor served in the state Senate from 1963-1970. He represented District 44 in Allegheny County and was a Republican.
He was born in Kittanning, Armstrong County, and attended the University of Pittsburgh and Quinnipiac University before getting into politics, according to his biography. He also served in the United States Marine Corps.
In 1966, the NHL granted a franchise to Pittsburgh after McGregor formed a group of investors that included H. J. Heinz II and Art Rooney. McGregor was named president and chief executive officer by the investors and represented Pittsburgh on the NHL’s Board of Governors, according to his biography.
The team played its first game in 1967 at the Civic Arena. McGregor owned the team for four years before selling it.
There is also a scholarship in his name at Pitt. It aims to provide “financial assistance to a law student who excels academically and has committed to working in the public sector,” the university says.
Pittsburg, PA
Gov. Josh Shapiro launches re-election campaign; speeches planned in Pittsburgh and Philly
Pittsburg, PA
2 Pittsburgh business owners charged in EBT fraud scheme
-
Detroit, MI5 days ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology3 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX4 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Health5 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska2 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska
-
Iowa2 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Nebraska3 days agoNebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek
-
Entertainment2 days agoSpotify digs in on podcasts with new Hollywood studios