The struggle for the Pittsburgh Penguins continues, and their repeated setbacks in shootouts could be the silent culprit behind their potential postseason absence. But here's where it gets controversial: Could their poor shootout record be the real reason they might miss the playoffs for the fourth year in a row? On Saturday night, at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Columbus Blue Jackets, raising their season-long shootout loss tally to an alarming league-worst 1-7.
This losing streak in shootouts isn’t just a minor hiccup; it’s a glaring issue that could have major postseason implications. The player most often on the ice during these crucial moments has been goaltender Arturs Silovs. And true enough, Silovs was part of Saturday’s disappointment, saving only 2 of 4 attempts in the shootout. His overall record in shootouts this season now stands at 1-6, which is quite troubling. But it’s not fair to place all the blame on him.
Why? Because shootout success is primarily about scoring goals, not saving them. And the Penguins’ offense struggled significantly, managing just a single goal on four attempts against Elvis Merzlikins, the Blue Jackets’ netminder. Forward Bryan Rust summed it up neatly: “It’s a team thing.” The frustration is clear—team members like Rust, Sidney Crosby, and Rickard Rakell failed to beat Merzlikins, and only Egor Chinakhov, a former Blue Jackets player now with the Penguins, managed to score during the shootout with a slick, quick shot.
The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, had their own success and failure stories, with forwards Kent Johnson and Charlie Coyle beating Silovs, while Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko were denied. This season, Silovs has allowed an unflattering 13 goals in shootouts on 20 attempts—the worst in the league. Despite this, Silovs remains optimistic, stating, “We’re just going to keep working on it. I think we’re getting better, but there’s still another level.” Throughout regulation and overtime, he played solidly, stopping 22 of 25 shots, earning respect from coach Dan Muse, who acknowledged his crucial saves and overall sharp play.
The game’s opening was marred by an unlikely goal from ex-Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese, who scored his first of the season just 2 minutes and 42 seconds into the game. The goal was set up after a blue-line puck battle that saw Zach Werenski chop a powerful shot past Silovs, with assists to Brendan Gaunce and Aston-Reese. Not long after, Connor Clifton—another Blue Jackets player unfamiliar to Penguins fans—opened his season scoring account at 9:59 of the first period with a strong wrist shot after a mix-up in the Penguins’ defensive zone. Novak’s attempt to clear turned into an assist as Clifton unleashed his shot.
The Penguins responded swiftly, with Sidney Crosby making a sharp, quick pass to Rickard Rakell, who shot past Merzlikins at 17:52 of the first period, tying the game. The second period saw the Blue Jackets take the lead again, with Kirill Marchenko’s impressive effort—racing past Crosby and a Penguins defender to score his 18th goal of the season. Later, a goal from Danton Heinen, a former Penguin now in Columbus, as well as Egor Zamula’s assist, gave the Blue Jackets a 3-2 advantage. Heinen’s goal was particularly satisfying, coming after he was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh just last month.
The game looked like it would slip away from the Penguins until they mounted a dramatic comeback in the final moments—Evgeni Malkin set up Crosby, who scored with just under a minute remaining, tying the game at 3-3 and forcing the contest into overtime.
The overtime period was a frantic flurry of activity, with both teams pushing hard. Pittsburgh fired six shots while Columbus managed two. Notable moments included stellar saves by Silovs and Merzlikins, with Silovs making a remarkable sprawling stop to deny Coyle. Yet, in the shootout, it was Coyle again—deking Silovs to score the decisive goal—who sealed the Jackets’ win. Chinakhov, however, was the bright spot for the Penguins, netting his second shootout goal of the season, despite joining the team only recently. With this performance, he now leads the Penguins in shootout goals.
Sidney Crosby, long celebrated for his clutch playoff and regular-season performances, particularly in shootouts, is perplexingly only 1 for 7 this season. Crosby himself admits, “I don’t think the prior ones really matter. Each one’s a new opportunity to gain more points, and we need to find ways to do that.” Teammate Bryan Rust concedes that despite their practice efforts, confidence and execution remain hurdles, asking, “What can we do better?” — a question that remains open to debate.
Additional notes from the game reveal that defenseman Connor Clifton scored his first goal of the season, which was the 594th goal in Penguins history, after a 19-game effort to match last season’s goal total. Meanwhile, rookie Ben Kindel continues to search for his first goal, now 16 games without one. The Penguins’ special teams were average, going 0-for-3 on power plays and perfect on penalty kills. Some players, like Ryan Graves and Kevin Hayes, sat out as healthy scratches, while Caleb Jones was present in the press box after a recent injury and medical evaluation.
As for the Blue Jackets, their recent success has been noteworthy—they’ve now won four in a row, including three since their new head coach Rick Bowness took over.
