Nearing the midway point of overtime in Columbus on Sunday, Erik Karlsson set up Sidney Crosby for the winning goal, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins secure a 5-4 victory after trailing 4-1 early in the second period. This marks their fifth consecutive win.
“It was a great pass. Great poise. I think to have that poise that point in the game at the blue line, it’s not easy. Put it right on my stick,” Crosby said about Karlsson’s assist. “So, it was a big play from him, and obviously a lot of big plays that led up to us coming back into it. Whether it was guys drawing penalties or big goals… I think we hung in there. I think it was a great test, and we found a way.”
Rickard Rakell tied the game with 13.7 seconds left in regulation, while Tommy Novak, Noel Acciari and Ville Koivunen also scored for Pittsburgh.
“It’s a great response by us,” goaltender Arturs Silovs said. “Guys are flying, we’re shooting, producing a lot of shots. Started to win a lot of offensive position, getting the changes and outworking them, and get rewarded.”
The Penguins started strong with Koivunen scoring just under two minutes into play after returning to the lineup as a replacement for rookie Rutger McGroarty.
“Feels really good, of course,” Koivunen said. “Like, get things going right away.”
The Blue Jackets responded with two goals in 27 seconds to take the lead and finished the first period ahead by two goals after Zach Werenski set up another score.
“We got away from it there for the back half of the first period,” Head Coach Dan Muse said. “I thought we didn’t do a good enough job there just kind of trying to stop the momentum over on their side.”
Werenski added his 15th goal less than one minute into the second period before Pittsburgh regained control when Acciari scored on their 20th shot of that frame.
“I can’t think of a game where they haven’t brought that type of a game, whether it’s in the D-zone blocking shots or in the offensive zone generating chances or on the forecheck,” Muse said about his fourth line players Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar alongside Acciari. “I mean, I can’t say it enough, how much that line means this team and how well they’ve done.”
Rakell noted this moment as key: “That goal by Cookie at the end of the second period gave us hope coming into the third.”
In the third period, Tommy Novak narrowed Columbus’ lead further following a power play opportunity created by Yegor Chinakov—who faced his former team for the first time since joining Pittsburgh last month.
Arturs Silovs made several saves late in regulation before he was pulled for an extra attacker as Pittsburgh pressed forward with six skaters including Crosby and Rakell; Mantha assisted Rakell’s tying goal shortly before time expired.
“It felt great,” Rakell said. “We were pushing throughout the whole period there, and we felt like we were close so many times. But their goalie (Jet Greaves) played a really good game for them, and didn’t make it easy for us. But everybody on our team did such a good job tonight.”
Sunday’s contest marked Pittsburgh’s 41st game this season—signaling entry into its second half—with an overall record of 20-12-9 through these games putting them one point ahead of Washington for an Eastern Conference Wild Card playoff spot.
The Penguins opened their season strongly but faced inconsistency midseason; December saw difficulties maintaining leads until recent improvements following holiday regrouping.
“I think I just like our whole team game,” Rakell said. “Everybody knows that they’re very important part of us having success, and when everybody is doing their job every night, I think it gives us a good chance to win.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins, established in 1967 as an NHL franchise based in Pennsylvania’s largest city, have earned multiple Stanley Cup titles over decades of competition and hold strong community ties through youth initiatives and local engagement efforts.
