Cam Talbot’s Shootout Stops Lift Blue Jackets Past Penguins After 45-Shot Night

The Blue Jackets controlled much of Friday’s game against Pittsburgh, built a 45-22 edge in shots and still needed a shootout to claim the win. Cam Talbot stopped all three Penguins attempts, and Kent Johnson scored the only goal among six shooters to give Columbus the result after regulation ended tied 2-2.

For Columbus, the performance carried two messages. The Jackets generated enough pressure to make a comfortable win look possible, but a turnover and a disputed goal kept Pittsburgh in the game. They earned the points anyway, with Talbot settling the finish on a night that also marked his first appearance for the club.

Severson makes an immediate impact

Damon Severson and Mathieu Olivier scored for Columbus in regulation. Severson, making his season debut, contributed to both goals: he scored himself and assisted on Olivier’s tally. That’s the kind of return the Jackets needed from a lineup addition, particularly against a divisional opponent capable of punishing mistakes.

The team’s territorial advantage was substantial. Natural Stat Trick’s game figures show Columbus ahead across the advanced metrics cited in the source, with the Jackets nearly doubling Pittsburgh in Corsi For percentage, Fenwick For percentage and expected goals. Columbus finished with 4.61 expected goals to the Penguins’ 2.12, alongside its 45 shots on goal to Pittsburgh’s 22.

Those numbers describe a night of sustained offensive pressure, but the result also shows why volume alone doesn’t settle a game. Columbus scored twice in regulation and couldn’t create enough separation to avoid overtime. Pittsburgh stayed close, then made the Jackets protect a narrow margin through the final stretch.

One mistake changed the shape of the game

A Cole Sillinger turnover near center ice gave Bryan Rust room to break behind the Columbus defense. Rust finished the chance past Talbot before the Jackets’ skaters could recover. After controlling play, Columbus had let Pittsburgh turn one giveaway into a direct route back into the contest.

The Penguins pulled level again in the third period through Evgeni Malkin. Erik Karlsson sent a shot toward the net from the point, and the puck changed direction among players in the slot before slipping past Talbot. The sequence drew attention because Talbot appeared to be contacted and his glove covered during the play.

Columbus had a chance to challenge for goaltender interference after taking a timeout, but chose not to. Coach Rick Bowness later characterized the prospect of overturning the goal as a 50-50 call at best. With the decision made, the Jackets had to move on and find another way to win.

Talbot and Johnson deliver in the shootout

No one scored again in the third, and overtime produced no winner. Talbot then stopped each of Pittsburgh’s three shootout attempts. Johnson supplied the decisive conversion, the only goal in a six-shooter contest. For a team that had created chances without closing the game in regulation, the goaltender’s clean finish made the difference.

The victory also began a notable chapter for Talbot: he became the first goaltender in NHL history to play for nine different teams during his career. He marked his first game with Columbus by earning his first win for the club. The shootout demanded a different kind of response than the high-volume work in regulation, and he came through when the outcome narrowed to individual chances.

There was plenty for Columbus to carry into its next game, but the defensive breakdown and the decision around Pittsburgh’s tying goal will merit attention alongside the shot totals. The Jackets had been idle for nearly a week after a 4-1 loss to Utah, and now faced a back-to-back against St. Louis the following night. Their pressure against Pittsburgh offered a promising platform; tightening the errors that kept the Penguins alive would make that pressure count for more.