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Another two-goal lead blown, another shootout loss: Pens lose 4-3 to Jackets

The Penguins had a 3-1 lead with about seven minutes to go in the third period of Tuesday's bout with the Blue Jackets but could not hold it as the Jackets tied it up and won it in the shootout.

ByTyler Miller|
Jan 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) receives congratulations from the bench after scoring his second goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jan 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) receives congratulations from the bench after scoring his second goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Penguins felt pretty confident late in this one as Rakell netted two goals and they were up 3-1. But that was not the case as they blew another two-goal lead, went to overtime and got robbed at the final buzzer, and yet again did not score in the shootout as the Penguins dropped this one and a crucial point 4-3.

First Period

This period to open the game was mainly uneventful, but Columbus got an early powerplay and capitalized as Jarry yet again gave up the first goal on the first shot of the game.

Dimitri Voronkov found the back of the net at 3:20 of the first and that was the only thing that was eventful about the first period.

The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead and a 7-3 shot advantage into the second period.

Second Period

This period also was very uneventful, but the Penguins had about 1:09 left on a powerplay to work with from late in the first period and they made it count.

Michael Bunting took a nice feed in front of the net from Sidney Crosby and tapped the puck into the back of the net to tie the game at 1.

The Penguins and Blue Jackets took a 1-1 tie and the Blue Jackets took a 17-14 shots advantage into the third period.

Third Period

The Penguins got off to a very good start in the third and final period as Rakell scored his first goal of the game at :24 and it was 2-1 Penguins.

Fast forward about half the period later, Rakell found the back of the net again on a sweet feed from Crosby behind the net and it was 3-1 Penguins. The Penguins thought they were sitting tight but not so fast.

Less than 2 minutes later, Voronkov found the back of the net again and it was 3-2 Penguins with 7:55 left.

After a very bad penalty call on Blake Lizotte late in the third, the Jackets made the Penguins pay and tied the game at 3 on a goal from Adam Fantili and sent it to overtime.

Overtime solved nothing, and Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko beat Jarry in the shootout and that was all she wrote on this one. A brutal loss for the Penguins and an extra point they should have had in the bag.

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