COLUMBUS, Ohio — How the Penguins started Saturday's game was hardly a blueprint for success.
Not if they want to see hair on their coach's head.
Or keep dressing room furniture intact.
The lone upshot from how poorly the Penguins opened against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena: Their affliction was contagious. After enduring an opening period that surely made coach Mike Sullivan's stomach turn, Pittsburgh kept at it and eventually turned the tables on the Blue Jackets.
Sidney Crosby, Danton Heinen and Brock McGinn scored third-period goals as the Penguins overwhelmed the Blue Jackets over the final 20 minutes to escape with a 6-3 victory, the fourth time in five games they've potted a half-dozen goals.
It wasn't what anyone thought possible after the Penguins faced a 2-0 deficit at first intermission and did not register their first shot on goal until nearly halfway through the first period.
But those were distant memories by the time the Penguins blitzed the Blue Jackets for three goals in the third, including an incredible tally from Crosby to push the Penguins in front for good at 5:38 of the third period.
It came off a gorgeous pass from Brian Dumoulin on one knee. It was also Crosby's fifth goal in his last six games against Columbus.
Heinen cleaned up a rebound for his second of the game at 14:07 of the third, and McGinn backhanded a juicy rebound for his first of the season to complete the rout at 14:51.
A wild and wacky second period set up the Crosby goal, one that saw the Penguins begin to seize the momentum away from Columbus.
Josh Archibald, who was a menace for much of the game, made it 2-1 with his wrister from the left circle at 3:43, the puck sailing over Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins’ glove.
Columbus answered, however, just 14 seconds later when center Jack Roslovic emerged from a scrum with a puck, deked around Jeff Petry and slid a pass to left wing Kent Johnson, who cut across the goal mouth and zipped a backhander past Tristan Jarry at 3:57 of the middle period.
Things really started to turn in the Penguins’ favor when Jan Rutta bombed a shot from the right point, a play made possible by Archibald delivering a hit on right wing Gustav Nyquist — contact that allowed Kasperi Kapanen to grab the puck and keep playing in Pittsburgh’s favor.
After Rutta’s second of the season — he had just three in 76 games for the Lightning last season — came at 10:04, Heinen picked up the equalizer at 14:19 of the second period, parking himself near the right post and burying a rebound.
It was a really smart play from Heinen to avoid the fray, creating space for himself when Crosby whacked the puck out of the area, and it skittered to the Penguins winger.
As for the start, yeah, it was really bad. At 6:13 of the opening frame, the Blue Jackets were out-shooting the Penguins 10-0 and had accounted for 16 of the 17 shot attempts. And it got worse.
Though Jarry kept the Penguins alive by denying Johnson on the doorstep and making a sprawling stop on center Sean Kuraly, a couple misplays by Kris Letang created situations too tough to overcome.
First, Letang’s outlet pass hit Johnny Gaudreau’s skate and bounced to Boone Jenner alone in front for an easy finish at 7:13 of the first.
After more Jarry heroics — including the denial of a 2-on-1 that featured a spinning feed from Matt Olivier to Justin Danforth — he once again faced an impossible task.
On the power play, Letang tried a bank pass to Bryan Rust that was so off-target that Rust seemed to think it was intended for someone else. Jack Roslovic chased it down, had nobody within smelling distance, and he snapped a shot under Jarry’s glove at 18:44.
Ice chips
— The Penguins survived a scare early on when McGinn blocked an Erik Gudbranson shot with what appeared to be his left wrist or forearm. McGinn was shaken up initially but stayed in the game.
— With Jake Guentzel (upper-body) out, the Penguins dressed seven defensemen but did not use any of them at forward. Chad Ruhwedel rotated on the back end. Jason Zucker took several extra shifts with Archibald and Poehling.
— Crosby and Evgeni Malkin spent a fair amount of time skating on the same line Saturday, something that Sullivan typically doesn’t like to do.
— The Penguins (4-0-1) have avoided a regulation loss through the first five games six times in their history, including each of the past two seasons.
— Saturday's victory snapped Pittsburgh’s five-game losing streak in road games against Metropolitan division opponents.
— Teddy Blueger (upper-body injury) missed his fifth straight game.
Key stat
3 — The Penguins have scored three or more goals in 14 of their last 17 games against Columbus, including four or more in 11 of those.
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