The Blue Jackets are stuck in a maddening rut of blowing leads in third periods, but they keep giving themselves opportunities to change the narrative.
Maybe one of these days, it’ll flip around. Until that happens, though, lost wins and points keep piling up, including the latest gut punch with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 29 at Nationwide Arena after starting the third leading 3-1.
Bryan Rust cut it to 3-2 for the Penguins (12-6-5) just 13 seconds into the third, Sidney Crosby tied it 3-3 at 8:28 and defenseman Kris Letang won it 59 seconds into overtime to hand the Blue Jackets (11-9-5) their fourth straight loss.
The good news there, for those looking for some, is the Jackets are 0-1-3 in those four defeats, earning three out of eight potential points.
Sean Monahan, Brendan Gaunce and Zach Werenski scored goals for the Blue Jackets, including Werenski’s with four seconds left in the second for the 3-1 lead that vanished. Jet Greaves (25 saves) started in net for the Jackets, who are last in the Metropolitan Division but only three points behind the Washington Capitals for third.
This was the eighth time in the Blue Jackets’ first 25 games they’ve blown a lead in the third, the fourth time it was a two-goal margin and the second two-goal lead they’ve coughed up against the Penguins — the first ending in a shootout win for Columbus on Oct. 25 in Pittsburgh.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social.