PITTSBURGH — The other shoe has dropped so many times on the Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena that everybody watching their latest implosion there Oct. 25 waited for the inevitable thud.
Surely, it was bound to happen. Right?
After blowing a 4-2 lead in the last 5:06 of the third period, the Jackets could barely get out of their own zone and gave Sidney Crosby ample time to work inside their blue line. Blue Jackets and Penguins fans awaited the other shoe (skate?) to hit the ice, but it never did.
The Blue Jackets (4-4-0) pulled the ripcord in a surprising 5-4 shootout victory they almost certainly would’ve lost in past years, and they headed home with a 3-1-0 road record thanks largely to three highly-skilled forwards who excel in shootouts: Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko, whose goal in the third round decided the winner.
“We could’ve (gone) sideways again,” coach Dean Evason said, “but they held their composure, and we were able to get the job done.”
Considering the Jackets’ history in Pittsburgh, that’s major progress.
Here are more takeaways:
Dmitri Voronkov leading Columbus Blue Jackets in more ways than scoring
Just as he did a year ago, Dmitri Voronkov is off to a great start.
After scoring two more goals in Pittsburgh, the Russian power forward leads the team in overall scoring with nine points on five goals and four assists. Standing 6 feet 5, 234 pounds, he’s also co-leading the team in goals with linemate Kirill Marchenko, has a four-game point streak going and has notched at least one point in seven of the Jackets’ first eight games.
Voronkov would also be co-leading the NHL in goals with Ottawa’s Shane Pinto if he hadn’t had three overturned already, including a kicked puck Oct. 24 against Washington that resembled a soccer goal.
“Next goal,” forward Yegor Chinakhov said as Voronkov’s translator in Pittsburgh, “he’ll score with the head.”
That was Voronkov’s way of answering a question about soccer playing a role in his latest overturned goal, and it drew laughs. His grasp of English remains limited, but “big boss” communicates just fine with teammates, coaches and even reporters.
“I don’t know if a lot of people will believe me, because I’ve said it to some people and they’re like, ‘Not a chance,’ but he’s a leader in our dressing room,” Evason said. “He doesn’t speak a lot of English, but he speaks ‘hockey’ very well and he speaks ‘team’ very well. And I think that has given him great confidence to come in and play the way he’s playing right now.”
All the elements appeared to be there for the NHL to overturn yet another Blue Jackets goal on a Penguins challenge for goaltender interference in the first period.
Charlie Coyle, who scored while standing in Pittsburgh’s crease, tapped the puck into the net after his right skate barely brushed goalie Arturs Silovs’ right skate in the blue paint.
Considering the Blue Jackets’ fortunes on coaching challenges and other NHL reviews in their first seven games (0 for 5), it initially felt like Coyle’s goal would be erased too. It was quite a relief on the Jackets’ bench after it was upheld, which tied the game 1-1 and gave the Blue Jackets a power play on a delay-of-game penalty for a failed coaching challenge.
“I’ll tell ya, the feeling on the bench is like, ‘Here we go,’ right?” Evason said. “I’m just speaking personally, and with the coaches. I think the players are fine, but … same as it’s nice to get reinforced with goals and nice to get reinforced with wins, it’s nice to get reinforced with a challenge kind of going our way.”
It wasn’t the only one either.
The Blue Jackets also came out on top of an NHL initiated review 4:45 into the second, when the league ruled the puck never crossed the goal line after Crosby took two whacks at it during a scramble near the left goal post.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier laments ‘timing’ of elbowing major vs Washington Capitals
After taking a day to let his emotions cool, Mathieu Olivier addressed a controversial call that sent him to the penalty box with a major penalty for elbowing in the third period of a 5-1 loss Oct. 24 to Washington.
The Capitals scored two goals to turn a 3-1 lead into a four-goal margin that prematurely ended all hopes for the Blue Jackets of pushing for a late comeback to tie it. Evason called it “baffling” that Olivier was assessed a major for a hit on defenseman Declan Chisholm, whose face was struck by Olivier’s left arm in what the Blue Jackets felt was incidental contact.
Chisholm left the ice holding his chin but didn’t miss a shift and logged time during the ensuing power play.
“The timing of it wasn’t great,” Olivier said. “I just didn’t agree with the call, especially when you see the other player come right back out there.”
Olivier said he did make contact with Chisholm’s face and felt a minor penalty might’ve been warranted, not a major.
“Was there contact with the head? Sure,” he said. “I don’t think anyone’s denying that, but I don’t think my elbow goes up. I stay grounded, just trying to finish through, and he kind of jumps out of the way … and the first thing they teach us in hockey is (to) protect yourself. So, elbow doesn’t come up, no ill intent, obviously, so it’s just an unfortunate play.”
The NHL did not issue supplemental disciplinary measures against Olivier for the hit or Evason for criticizing the call in his postgame press conference.
Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner gets feisty in Pittsburgh
Boone Jenner wasn’t a fan of a big hit by Pittsburgh defenseman Mathew Dumba with 8:15 left in the first period.
After getting to his feet in the Penguins’ zone, Jenner located Dumba and the gloves came off quickly. According to HockeyFights.com, it was Jenner’s second fight since getting the captain’s ‘C’ in 2021 and first since fighting former Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo on March 30, 2023.
Jenner plays a physical game but doesn’t fight much. This was only his 14th fight as a professional, and that includes one in 2013 with the Blue Jackets’ prospect team in Traverse City, Michigan.
“Obviously, he hits me to kind of start it,” Jenner said. “That’s part of the game. You try to get going, you try to get the team going, whatever it may be. I just wanted to stand up for us after the hit and that’s just what it is.”
Chinakhov stands out with limited ice time for Columbus Blue Jackets
Earlier in the week, a report by The Athletic stated that Chinakhov still hopes the Blue Jackets comply with his request for a trade that would give him a fresh start elsewhere.
That went public during the summer, but Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell made it clear he wasn’t interested in moving Chinakhov just to grant his request. The asking price is likely a deal that gives the Blue Jackets an NHL roster player to replace Chinakhov, whose play has noticeably improved since the latest trade report was published.
After nearly scoring goals in the previous two games, Chinakhov netted his first goal of the season early in the third period to put the Jackets up 4-2 against the Penguins. He remained at right wing on the fourth line in Pittsburgh, skating just 10:26, and it’s unclear whether Chinakhov will stay in the Blue Jackets’ lineup after Miles Wood is cleared to return from an eye injury.
Scouts from numerous NHL teams have attended multiple Blue Jackets games at Nationwide Arena already, and Chinakhov’s trade wish is likely the biggest reason. Those who’ve sent multiple scouts include the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights, while former Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has watched multiple games.
Kekalainen, a senior advisor for the Buffalo Sabres, selected Chinakhov 21st overall in 2020.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social