COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Pittsburgh Penguins‘ (20-12-9) four-game winning streak appeared to be over. The Penguins dug themselves a 4-1 second-period hole seemingly too deep to overcome. Yet, they scored three unanswered goals to force overtime with the Columbus Blue Jackets (18-6-76) at Nationwide Arena Sunday.

After the Penguins pulled goalie Arturs Silovs for the extra attacker, Rickard Rakell (6) tied the game with only 12 seconds remaining.

Then, captain Sidney Crosby (24) slipped a backhand five-hold past Columbus goalie Jet Greaves, who was otherwise spectacular, at 2:22 for a 5-4 Penguins overtime win. The Penguins have now won five in a row.

The Penguins picked up their pace from where they left off in their historic win over the Detroit Red Wings Saturday. The Penguins allowed only 12 shots Saturday, a franchise record for road games.

Through the first eight minutes Sunday, the Penguins again squelched their opponent, allowing only one shot and dominating the puck.

Ville Koivunen, who drew into the lineup for healthy scratch Rutger McGroarty, had consecutive shifts with good chances. The winger scored his second career goal with a backhand rebound poke past Columbus goalie Jet Greaves at just 1:50 of the first period.

But then things changed–dramatically–for a few important minutes.

When the Penguins broke down midway through the first period, they stacked bad shifts and plenty of them. After a scramble near the crease in which former Penguins winger Danton Heinen prevented goalie Arturs Silovs from covering the puck, Dmitri Vronkov (15) deflected Denton Mateychuk’s shot to tie the game 1-1 at 8:21.

And just 27 seconds later, the Penguins again scrambled. This time, it wasn’t a scramble in the defensive zone, but rather a scramble to get back there, and Adam Fantilli raced past Penguins defender Kris Letang for a short breakaway.

Silove made the first save, but Mason Marchment (9) beat Penguins center Ben Kindel to the net and easily buried the rebound past a sprawled Silovs at 8:48.

Columbus pressed the attack as the Penguins were increasingly shaky. Kirill Marchenko (15) popped into the passing lane from behind the net and one-timed a pass from Zach Werenski at 18:38 for a 3-1 lead.

The Penguins had fits and spurts of offense through the second period, but Columbus scored the backbreaker early in the period. Just 47 seconds into the second period, defenseman Zach Werenski’s (15) wrist shot from the blue line flew through a pile of bodies near the net and ultimately past Silovs for a 4-1 lead.

Noel Acciari raised the stakes of the third period and the Penguins’ hopes with a snipe later in the second period. After an aggressive forechecking shift by the fourth line, Penguins winger Connor Dewar kept the play alive at the blue line and tapped the puck to the slot for Acciair (4), who whipped it past Greaves at 16:51.

Acciari’s goal sent the Penguins to the dressing room down only 4-2.

An early third period power play added more momentum to the potential Penguins’ comeback. Tommy Novak lit the lamp at 3:28, with yet another assist by Kindel, and the Penguins’ deficit was merely one, 4-3.

Kindel had two assists Sunday.

The Penguins are no strangers to comebacks in Columbus. They trailed 3-1 in the third period on Nov. 28 and won 4-3 in overtime. The Penguins blitzed Columbus from the beginning of the period, upping their shot advantage from 29-18 to 35-20 in the first six minutes, and only added more pressure over the next 10 minutes.

Sidney Crosby hit the post with a would-be tying goal at 7:30.

Greaves denied Rickard Rakell with an athletic save at 7:41.

Greaves also turned back Yegor Chinakhov at 11:00 from point-blank range.

The Penguins peppered Columbus with 91 shot attempts and 41 shots in regulation. Silovs stopped 21 of 25 in regulation. Greaves stopped 37 of 41.

Tags: Columbus Blue Jackets Penguins game Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby

Categorized: Penguins Postgame