Penguins' winning streak comes to end with shootout loss to Blue Jackets
The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrated their marvelous history Saturday, inducting former executives Scotty Bowman and Eddie Johnston, along with former forwards Ron Francis and Kevin Stevens, into the franchise’s relaunched hall of fame.
As for their present success, the reasons to rejoice came to a halt as their four-game winning streak was snapped by a rollicking 5-4 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena.
The Penguins erased a two-goal deficit when Kris Letang and Bryan Rust scored in the final 5 minutes, 6 seconds of regulation, but shootout goals by Blue Jackets forwards Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko were the difference.
Amplifying the Penguins’ doldrums, forward Rickard Rakell was unable to finish the contest after appearing to block a shot with his left hand. Coach Dan Muse did not have a substantive update on Rakell’s status following the game.
Goaltender Arturs Silovs made 37 saves on 41 shots in regulation and overtime. He was beaten on all three shots he faced in the shootout as his record slipped to 3-2-0.
Rust and Penguins forward Sidney Crosby scored on their shootout attempts while forward Evgeni Malkin missed the cage.
While the result was unappetizing, the Penguins drew some optimism by forcing overtime and earning a point.
“We came back from a two-goal deficit, getting a point,” Silovs said. “Sure, it’s not enough. But we have to take pride (in) that, coming back. Sticking to the things that we do the best. That was a character point grab. Maybe wanted to make a save there in the shootout, but things happen.”
An unlikely source generated the first offense of the contest as Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea scored his first goal of the season only 59 seconds into regulation.
Taking a pass at the center red line, Penguins forward Anthony Mantha gained the offensive zone on the right wing. Pulling up on the near half wall, Mantha waited for teammates to catch up, then slid the puck across the ice to the far boards. Shea accepted the pass, moved into the left circle and whistled a wrister to the near side past a kneeling Johnson and by the right shoulder of goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. Mantha and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon had assists.
Ryan Shea - Pittsburgh Penguins (1) pic.twitter.com/g65FPgJNlq
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 26, 2025
Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle’s first goal at 15:44 of the first period tied the contest.
Following a neutral zone turnover by Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger claimed possession and gained the offensive blue line on the left wing. Veering to the slot, Sillinger offloaded the puck to Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro, who released a wrister from above the right circle. Silovs made a save with his blocker but allowed a rebound to sit free to his right in the crease. Coyle crashed in and converted with an easy backhander. Fabbro and Sillinger secured assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) October 26, 2025
The Penguins issued a coach’s challenge, claiming goaltender interference, but officials found no evidence of malfeasance. As a result, the Penguins were charged with a delay of game minor.
“We thought (Coyle), from the overhead (view), it looked like getting his stick in on Silovs’ pad,” Muse said. “At the time of the game, all things considered, we thought there was something there where we could challenge. I was wrong on it.”
Mantha looked right as he restored a lead for the hosts via his fourth goal at 18:01 of the opening frame.
Rushing the puck through the neutral zone, Malkin pulled up at the offensive blue line on the right wing, then slid a cross-ice pass for Mantha, who entered the Blue Jackets’ zone on the left wing. From the top of the near circle, Mantha snapped a wrister that beat Merzlikins’ glove on the far side. Malkin and linemate Justin Brazeau merited assists.
Anthony Mantha - Pittsburgh Penguins (4) pic.twitter.com/1NirRAKZSO
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 26, 2025
A wrister by Crosby during a power-play sequence appeared to cross the threshold of the Blue Jackets’ goal line at 4:43 during a furious goalmouth scramble. But once officials whistled play dead, a review could not confirm a valid goal.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) October 26, 2025
“It got stuck in (Merzlikins’) armpit and I thought it was over the line,” Crosby said. “So, I think his stick ended up keeping it on the other side of the goal line. We had a couple of those that were behind him and they couldn’t find their way in, unfortunately.”
The visitors tied the game at 17:39 of the second frame when forward Dmitri Voronkov scored his fourth goal.
After Wotherspoon misplayed a puck on his own end boards, Johnson swarmed in to claim possession and backhanded a pass to the left circle, where Voronkov glided in and swatted a forehand shot to the far side by Silovs’ glove. Johnson generated the lone assist.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) October 26, 2025
Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov supplied his team with its first lead of the contest with his first goal 115 seconds into the third period.
Accepting a pass at the top of the Penguins’ right circle, Chinakov leaned down, then gripped and ripped a wrister that toasted Silov’s glove on the near side. Former Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese and linemate Isac Lundestrom logged assists. For Aston-Reese, it was his 100th career point.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) October 26, 2025
Voronkov scored again at 4:54 of the third period.
After gaining the offensive zone on the left wing, Marchenko backhanded a centering pass to linemate Sean Monahan. Veering to the right circle, Monahan pulled up at the dot and then shuffled a forehand pass to the far side of the crease. Gaining position on Rakell, Voronkov redirected the puck by Silov’s right skate. Monahan and Marchenko had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) October 26, 2025
The Penguins persisted, and Letang scored his first goal during a power-play sequence at 14:54 of the third.
Galloping into the offensive zone on the left wing, Penguins forward Tommy Novak lobbed a pass attempt to the crease, but it was partially blocked by the stick of ex-Penguins defenseman Erik Gudbranson and bounced in on net. Merzlikins directed the puck away with his blocker but allowed Novak to swoop in to claim possession. Curling behind the cage, Novak slipped a pass to the high slot where Letang teed up a 6-iron and clapped a one-timer by Merzlikins’ right shoulder. Novak and Silovs got assists.
Kris Letang with a picture-perfect PPG ???? pic.twitter.com/rJjOtjBwa9
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 26, 2025
“It was just a really nice play on the entry by Tommy,” Letang said. “He took his time, and they collapsed really low in the slot, and it opened me up there and made a great pass.”
Rust’s first regulation goal of the season tied the contest exactly two minutes later.
Gathering a loose puck in the Blue Jackets’ right corner, Malkin shook off Fabbro, turned to the near circle and fed a seam pass to the opposite circle for Rust, who lifted a forehand shot over the right leg of a sprawling Merzlkins. Malkin and Letang had assists.
Bryan Rust - Pittsburgh Penguins (1) pic.twitter.com/MnIWKSl1J0
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 26, 2025
“It says a lot about the resilience in here,” Rust said. “I don’t think we played the game that we would like to play. But I think we stuck in there. We worked hard. We battled back. It would’ve been nice to get the second one.”
A save in the shootout would have aided that endeavor.
“It’s a skill-based game,” Silovs said. “They (had) good timing.”
On Saturday, the Penguins took time to recognize their past while also appreciating what a point — even in defeat — could mean for their future.
“One point right now or one point in April is the same thing for us every game,” Letang said. “We have to have the same mentality. … We found a way to stick in the game and come back.
“We have to take some positives, we have to learn from different areas that we have to correct.”
Notes:
• Penguins defenseman Matt Dumba recorded the Penguins’ first fighting major of the season at 11:45 of the first period via a bout with Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner. The fisticuffs were sparked by Dumba landing a heavy check on Jenner.
• Silovs became the 34th goaltender to record a point for the Penguins.
• This was the first matchup between two Latvian-born goaltenders since Peteris “Peter” Skudra faced Arturs Irbe on Jan. 21, 2002. As a member of the Vancouver Canucks, Skudra made 23 saves on 27 shots to record the victory in a 7-5 road win against the Carolina Hurricanes. Irbe stopped 19 of 22 shots but was not the goaltender of record.
• Penguins defenseman Harrison Brunicke and forward Ben Kindel were healthy scratches. Their absences were by design as part of a development plan for the teenage rookies.
• Aston-Reese recorded his 100th career point.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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