COLUMBUS, OH – SEPTEMBER 24: Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs (37) and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov (10) battle for a loose puck while Pittsburgh Penguins forward Filip Hallander (11) defends during the first period of a preseason NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins on September 24, 2025, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)
COLUMBUS — With Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas and assistant GM Jason Spezza perched above the ice in the management box, the young Penguins players had a chance to make a strong impression on the bosses who will decide their hockey fates in a couple of weeks.
They had a chance to impress, but few did so in the Penguins’ 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
The Penguins took seven minor penalties, including shortly bunched minors midway through the third period by Connor Clifton and Connor Dewar, which afforded Columbus a two-man advantage and the insurance goal scored by Kent Johnson.
It was a choppy game that lacked offensive surges, though Penguins coach Dan Muse didn’t seem too displeased.
“I think it took us a little while. I actually thought it was after that, it was our first penalty kill, and then we gained some momentum,” Muse said. “And then I actually thought we really started to put together some shifts. So maybe a little bit at the very beginning of the period (we had trouble getting it going), but then I did think once we got a little momentum, we were able to carry it for a while. And it leads to scoring a goal and some other good O-zone shifts.”
However, the game was not the special sort of energetic exposition that took place in Montreal on Monday in Game 1 of the Penguins ‘ seven-game preseason.
Actually, it was quite the opposite, as the shots settled 25-24 for the Columbus Blue Jackets despite a late surge by the Penguins, whose only goal was by McGill University forward Zach Gallant (on an AHL deal). Gallant’s goal was soon whitewashed by a long-range softy, which Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs allowed to Yegor Chinakov from at least 40 feet.
Soft goals from a long distance have been the knock on Silovs, and that gremlin was present again on Wednesday.
Silovs allowed another miler to sneak past him midway through the second period, shortly before he swapped with Filip Larsson in a scheduled goalie change.
Silovs made some good saves on scoring chances near the net, but was beaten twice from areas just short of Zanesville. Larsson also allowed a pair of goals on 10 shots.
Columbus goalie Jet Greaves played the entire game.
The Penguins were being outshot 14-6 at the time of the goalie change. No, excitement was not a key component of the contest unless you were counting along with how many times scorers changed the shots total (hint: a lot).
The Penguins took most of the second period before they found some of that energy, too. Aidan McDonaugh was the leading Penguins shooter with three shots on goal after 40 minutes.
However, the Penguins had only three high-danger chances, while allowing two, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
Make no mistake, sometimes the most pressing analysis is not who played well, but a collage of players who needed to play well but were otherwise caught in the muck and mire of the game.
Penguins Analysis
As we begin to unravel the mysteries of Dan Muse’s systems and the “details” of his preferred game, it was barebones puck support on Wednesday. There were a lot of controlled zone entries, with close options.
Defensively, perhaps we’re oversimplifying, but there were plenty of basic 1-2-2 setups with the rearguards bodying up the stretch pass options.
There were odd-man rushes, and the Penguins took away much of Columbus’s speed entering the zone, but we wouldn’t call it a defensive posture–just not an overly aggressive forecheck.
You may recall, we wrote about the Penguins’ success in the first half of last season when they were more defensively oriented, but coaches and players opted not to stick with it. There’s plenty more preseason hockey, and there will be more clarity regarding Muse’s system.
One thing the Penguins have done well is penalty killing, though they allowed two power-play goals Wednesday. One of them was a 5v3.
“It’s early. There’s been zero practice time on special teams. And so everything’s been based on video and the exhibition games,” said Muse. “So that being said, Mike Stothers works with our penalty killers. Nick Benino helps them with that. Those guys have done a great job of getting these guys prepared. That’s not easy when you have no practice time. And we just can’t this time of year–There are too many other things that we need to focus on in those four days of practice.”
Also, in an awkward bit of scorekeeping, the teams combined for one takeaway on the final stat sheet. That’s probably skewed quite a bit from reality.
Penguins Report Card
No NHL contract players will get an A for Wednesday. The only A will be to 25-year-old forward Aidan McDonough, who is on an AHL deal despite scoring 16 points in 16 games before a season-ending injury with the Charlotte Checkers.
McDonough had some hop, and as he’s been in practice, seemed to be around the puck–always.
Connor Clifton: B
For the second straight game, Clifton dished out hits, beginning on the first shift. We were perplexed that he was credited with only one hit through 50 minutes. He separated Adam Fantilli from the puck, and the Penguins took possession, which created a neutral zone faceoff and shortly the Penguins’ first period goal.
If you’re looking for a working-class hero this season, one of the candidates is the scrappy Clifton.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to bring out–that third pair physicality. We’re playing against third and fourth ones a majority of the time, and they’re going to finish their hit,” Clifton told PHN. “So, I try to match that. But you know it’s coming into camp. It’s a new team, a new coach. And you know I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
Tristan Broz: B
Broz’s B on Wednesday was quite a bit less than his A+ for Monday, but he did some things well, including winning seven of his first eight faceoffs and eight of 12 overall. Broz also had a great scoring chance late in the game, but he probably missed his chance at guaranteeing himself an NHL spot.
Broz wasn’t happy after the game, and chided himself for not converting a glorious opportunity with about three minutes remaining. However, he did understand the assignment. His maturity shines through. He knew he didn’t have his best Wednesday and worked to contribute. That’s a veteran move.
Bear in mind, I simply asked about his confidence and improvement on the faceoff dot, and this was the answer that I got:
“I think a big part of playing in the NHL is having a B game. You know, there’s a lot of travel and different circumstances (in the NHL),” Broz began. “Sometimes, you’re not feeling the best, and you’ve got to find a way to be effective. I mean, as a center that’s winning faceoffs, playing good defense, and that usually leads to good offense.”
Ville Koivunen: B
Koivunen wasn’t bad, either. He showed his skills in traffic, puck poise, and vision. He didn’t have much offense to show for it, but no one did.
Justin Brazeau: B
Brazeau had four hits and was involved in the offensive play, despite the team struggling for that consistent connection.
Ben Kindel: B
Kindel had a flurry of second-period activity stemming from good defensive zone reads and subsequent puck pressure. He also had a third period breakaway when he read a missed pass before Columbus’s defensemen did.
Kindel finished with a couple of shots on goal, and his best seems to spring up occasionally–tapping into that more often will make him a good center. He also seems to find his way to the netfront quite a bit.
Arturs Silovs: C-
He made several good saves near the crease, but he could have stopped a couple of long goals.
Muse gave his goalie an OK grade with the caveat that it’s early for everyone and he’ll improve as he gets back into game shape.
However, the book on Silovs has stated that he struggles with long-range shots. That part merits further observation.
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