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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
Tight, and sometimes hard-earned, Columbus eventually made Pittsburgh yield in the shootout. The Blue Jackets' 3-2 victory is worth more than just two early-season points: it places 39-year-old Cam Talbot in franchise history and reminds us that these Penguins can still survive when their goaltender carries them on his back.
A game dominated by Columbus for a long time
Damon Severson opened the scoring in the first period on a play built with Zach Werenski, then Mathieu Olivier doubled the lead in the second.
Columbus took control well before the scoreboard made it obvious. Damon Severson opened the scoring in the first period on a play built with Zach Werenski, then Mathieu Olivier doubled the lead in the second. At 2-0, the Blue Jackets had the volume, the speed, and the feeling of a game under control.
The problem in this division is that a game under control never stays that way for very long. Pittsburgh absorbed the pressure, but Sergei Murashov kept his team alive with 43 saves. Without him, the night could have turned much earlier. With him, the Penguins earned the right to reenter the conversation, then stretch it all the way to the end.
Bryan Rust cut the deficit late in the second period, before Evgeni Malkin brought Pittsburgh back to 2-2 in the third. It was not a flashy comeback, but rather a return to patience: cleaner shifts, more traffic in front of Talbot, and that old Penguins ability to turn a game they were enduring into one they could breathe in.
Talbot, a debut that counts double
The name that stands out on Columbus's side is Cam Talbot. In his debut with the Blue Jackets, the veteran stopped 20 shots and all three opposing attempts in the shootout. At 39, he became the oldest goaltender to record a win with the franchise.
The strongest statistic extends beyond Columbus: Talbot has now won a game with a ninth NHL team, an all-time record for a goaltender. In a league where goaltenders' careers can be harsh, often shaped by depth needs and injuries, this kind of mark tells a story beyond simple longevity. You have to last, but you also have to keep convincing people.
Kent Johnson scored the shootout's only goal while Talbot shut the door. Pittsburgh tried Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov and Ben Kindel, among others, without success. Sidney Crosby did not shoot, a decision that will inevitably be discussed around the Penguins, even if this type of choice often depends more on the circumstances of the moment than on the written pecking order.
Pittsburgh leaves with a point and questions
The Penguins can take solace in the point they earned, and above all in Murashov's performance. The goaltender withstood a very heavy second period, in which Columbus piled up shots and offensive-zone shifts. For a team that has lost three straight games, that is not insignificant: the structure bent, but it did not break.
Still, Pittsburgh once again waited too long before truly making an impact. The comeback was commendable, but it does not hide the initial imbalance. Columbus, for its part, can take away the collective response after the equalizer. The Blue Jackets could have grown frustrated after letting their lead slip away; instead, they found enough composure to go and claim the decision.
The next few games will tell whether this victory was simply an October night or the beginning of a more solid foundation. For Talbot, it already holds a special place. For Columbus, it mainly offers a useful reminder: when the goaltender closes the final door, a game that seemed almost lost in its momentum can become a genuine building block.
