The Pittsburgh Penguins will finish their three-game homestand by hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 PM ET start, with doors opening at 5:30 PM.
Tonight’s matchup features Grateful Dead Night, including themed activities such as a performance by TheCAUSE, a local band known for classic rock covers and Grateful Dead influences. Their sets will take place pregame and during both intermissions from the BetRivers Ledge on the FedEx Level. Dogfish Head Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale will be available in multiple arena sections, and PensGear stores are offering special edition Grateful Dead-themed merchandise.
Fans can watch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh or listen via 105.9 The X and the Penguins app.
Entering tonight’s contest, the Penguins hold a record of 22-14-10, while the Blue Jackets are at 21-19-7. Historically, Pittsburgh has performed strongly against Columbus, earning points in 18 of their last 19 games versus the Blue Jackets since December 2019. The Penguins also maintain an active 18-game home point streak (16-0-2) against Columbus dating back to December 2015.
Recent team notes highlight that Pittsburgh has scored three or more goals in 24 of its last 30 games against Columbus. Nineteen of those efforts included four or more goals. The Penguins currently rank second in NHL power-play percentage at 29.4%. Rickard Rakell has been productive in these matchups, tallying five points over his past four games against Columbus.
Defensively, the Penguins have killed off their last 16 penalties over four games. Video Coach Madison Nikkel marks his 500th career NHL regular-season game tonight.
Pittsburgh enters this game with its longest active home point streak (16-0-2) against any franchise in the league—a mark tied for the longest such streak in team history.
Egor Chinakhov has recorded four points (three goals, one assist) since joining Pittsburgh earlier this month; only Sidney Crosby has scored more goals for the team during that span.
Rookie forward Ben Kindel reached a milestone Thursday night with his twentieth point of the season, becoming just the sixth player aged eighteen or younger in franchise history to do so.
Sidney Crosby continues to lead offensively for Pittsburgh. He reached fifty points for a nineteenth time after notching two points against Philadelphia Thursday night—only five players in NHL history have achieved more fifty-point seasons than Crosby. His twenty-five goals top all Eastern Conference skaters and tie him for fifth across the league; he also leads all Metropolitan Division players with fifty-one points.
Defensively, Brett Kulak and Kris Letang have formed an effective pairing since December; according to moneypuck.com, they have allowed among the fewest goals at even strength compared to other pairs with similar ice time this season.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner has won four out of five starts since Christmas break and has limited opponents to one goal in four of those appearances—ranking high among league goaltenders during this stretch.
Since late December, Pittsburgh leads all NHL teams in fewest total goals allowed (20) and lowest average goals allowed per game (2.00).
Rickard Rakell is two points away from reaching two hundred career points as a Penguin—a milestone only one other Swedish-born player has accomplished with Pittsburgh.
Sidney Crosby’s career totals against Columbus stand at sixty-nine points through forty-eight games; only Patrick Kane has more all-time versus Columbus among NHL players. Crosby averages nearly one-and-a-half points per game when facing them—fourth highest among all skaters with at least twenty appearances versus Columbus.
Kris Letang holds an NHL record for defensemen with fourteen career goals against Columbus—the most he’s scored versus any opponent—and now leads active defensemen with thirty-four career points against them following his two-point performance earlier this season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, established in 1967 as an NHL franchise based in Pennsylvania, have earned multiple Stanley Cup titles throughout their history and are recognized for promoting youth hockey development along with community engagement initiatives aimed at growing fan involvement and access to hockey.
