PITTSBURGH — One dominant period was all the Penguins needed to take care of business against the Columbus Blue Jackets, winning, 4-1, Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena.
They started slow, but with three goals in the second period the Penguins powered past the last-place Blue Jackets, who were without three of their top defensemen, including a two-time All-Star in Zach Werenski, in this Metro Division tilt.
Sidney Crosby, who has been battling an illness, buried two goals on Tuesday.
It was their third straight win. They finished the homestand with a 3-1-1 record.
Johnny Gaudreau scored for the Blue Jackets on the game’s first shot. Crouched low, Tristan Jarry let Gaudreau snap his sharp-angle shot over his glove.
It didn’t get much better for the Penguins in the final 19 minutes of the first. They had difficulty getting the puck out of their zone and possessed the puck inside Blue Jackets territory for just 49 seconds during that period, per Sportlogiq.
But the Penguins would flip the game on its ear within a span of 47 seconds.
Bryan Rust tied the score at 1-1 early in the second period. A mosh pit formed in front of Elvis Merzlikins and Rust skidded in to tuck the puck between his pads. It was the second goal in as many games for Rust, who has his mojo back.
Then Crosby swatted a rebound past Merzlikins, while Blue Jackets defenseman Andrew Peeke planted him on his backside, to put the Penguins in front.
Crosby got his second goal on the power play. The finish was fluky but the setup was spectacular. Crosby swatted the puck out of midair to maintain possession. Evgeni Malkin danced around Jack Roslovic. Then Jake Guentzel slid a backdoor pass to Crosby. It hit a defender’s stick, glanced off Crosby and went in.
The once-slumping Penguins power play has scored in three games in a row.
Crosby got a couple cracks at a hat trick on another power play early in the third. But his one-timer from the right dot got blocked then Merzlikins made a sprawling stop on Crosby after some clever crisscrossing from Pittsburgh up top.
The Blue Jackets pushed during the final period. But Jarry shook off his early jitters to make 38 saves in another winning effort. He was not fooled midway through the third when Patrik Laine sneakily tried to score between his own legs.
Teddy Blueger provided insurance with 3:27 left, his first goal of the season.
ICE CHIPS
-- Crosby, Malkin and Casey DeSmith were all in uniform Tuesday after missing Monday’s practice due to illness. However, Ryan Poehling was sidelined with an upper-body injury. He skated on an individual basis Tuesday morning.
-- With Poehling out against the Blue Jackets, Danton Heinen drew back into the lineup. Heinen had been a healthy scratch in the previous three games.
-- Rust went to the dressing room with five minutes left in the first period, after he helped the Penguins kill a penalty, but returned after the first intermission. He saw a significant uptick in shorthanded ice time with Poehling out Tuesday.
-- Guentzel briefly left the game after he clipped skates with former teammate Erik Gudbranson in the third period and barreled into the end boards awkwardly.
-- Rickard Rakell earned his 200th NHL assist on Crosby’s second-period tally.
-- Blueger was awarded his first career penalty shot with the Penguins up, 3-1, in the second period. But Merzlikins, his Latvian countryman, stuffed him.
-- Kris Letang missed his fourth straight game. He again skated on an individual basis Tuesday but coach Mike Sullivan said his status has not changed.
COMING UP
The Penguins are scheduled to practice Wednesday and Thursday in Cranberry before a home-and-away back-to-back against the Buffalo Sabres this weekend. They visit Buffalo on Friday then will host the Sabres here a night later.
