Game #68 Recap: Columbus Blue Jackets Save Playoff Dreams, Defeat Pittsburgh Penguins
Here’s what happened.
The Columbus Blue Jackets live to fight another day.
With their season on the line and the Pittsburgh Penguins in town, the boys found a way to get two points.
Boone Jenner opened the scoring with 2:31 gone in the first, as he stepped out of the penalty box and onto the score sheet.
What an atmosphere to start this one! pic.twitter.com/vhJSFZcVgT
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 10, 2019
To start the second period, the Blue Jackets clung to a 1-0 lead, but Cam Atkinson made it a 2-0 game with a shorthanded goal as Phil Kessel fell down and turn the puck over to a waiting Atkinson.
SHORT. HANDED. GOAL. pic.twitter.com/fJjpd8nTGO
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 10, 2019
After the Penguins cut it to a 2-1 lead behind a Zach Aston-Reese effort, Oliver Bjorkstrand restored the two goal lead in the third period.
.@RyanDzingel finds @OBjorkstrand on the doorstep! pic.twitter.com/gYs6IFGMgc
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 10, 2019
With 1:49 to go, Cam Atkinson sealed the game with an empty netter to give the Blue Jackets their first win in eight tries over the Penguins.
from deeeeep pic.twitter.com/YTyQBNIB5x
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 10, 2019
Final
Pittsburgh Penguins 1 Columbus Blue Jackets 4
Final Thoughts
With their season on the line, the boys in union blue found a way.
With the win, they’re now back in a playoff spot with a game in hand on Montreal and only two points behind both the Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes with 14 games to go.
The team has everything to play for down the stretch. Can they capitalize? It’ll be a fun ride to find out.
Go Jackets.