COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Pittsburgh Penguins (19-12-9) have won four in a row, are in a playoff position, and are feeling pretty good about their game. The Penguins finish back-to-back weekend games when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets (18-16-6) Sunday at Nationwide Arena.

The puck drops just after 3 p.m.

The Penguins’ winning streak isn’t the only storyline Sunday, as winger Yegor Chinakhov will make his homecoming to Columbus. Chinakhov publicly requested a trade after last season, due in large part to issues with coach Dean Evason and his reduced fourth-line role.

The Penguins acquired Chinakhov last Monday in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-rounder, and Danton Heinen.

The Penguins squelched any and almost all offense against the Detroit Red Wings Saturday. The Penguins allowed just 12 shots, a franchise record-low for a road game. Bryan Rust scored early in the first period, and newly acquired Chinakhov scored a breakaway goal sprung by a perfect pass from rookie Ben Kindel later in the first period.

Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar scored empty netters in the win. Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner won his second consecutive game by stopping 11 of the 12 shots.

It was an impressive, if not stunning, display of discipline and defensive will.

“Obviously, (we’ve got) four wins in a row coming off the break, which is huge. We’ve been scoring a lot of goals and playing amazing defensively. Our (penalty kill) has been fantastic. The power play has been working and is doing really well,” said Skinner Saturday postgame. “I mean, we’re just … I feel like the team has got a really solid amount of chemistry right now, where just everyone is going. We’re using everybody, every guy is going and playing their game and playing their role.

“And from my perspective, it’s really fun to watch.”

The Penguins now have the third-best winning percentage in the Metro Division and seventh-best in the Eastern Conference. Based on overall points, they have the second wild-card position.

Columbus has fallen back in the East and is the last-place team in the conference, though they are only five points out of a playoff spot and are over .500 (.525). Columbus has also won four of their last five games, including a solid 5-1 stomping of the Buffalo Sabres at Nationwide Arena Saturday.

Columbus’s win ended Buffalo’s 10-game winning streak.

The bottom of Columbus’s lineup provided the offense as Cole Sillinger, Brendan Gaunce (SHG), and Mathieu Oliver added goals in addition to the offense from defenseman Denton Mateychuk and Dmitri Vronkov.

Jet Greaves stopped 32 of 33 shots for the win.

Since both teams are on the tail end of a back-to-back, the Penguins are most likely to face Elvis Merzlikins in goal Sunday. And Arturs Silovs is the probable Penguins starter.

How to Watch

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Radio: 105.9 The X

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Expected Penguins Lines

Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Anthony Mantha-Tommy Novak-Justin Brazeau

Rutger McGroarty-Ben Kindel–Yegor Chinakhov

Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari

Defense

Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson

Brett Kulak-Kris Letang

Ryan Shea-Jack St. Ivany

Goalie: Arturs Silovs, expected

Expected Blue Jackets Lines

Mason Marchment-Adam Fantilli-Kirill Marchenko

Dmitri Voronkov-Cole Sillinger-Danton Heinen

Boone Jenner-Charlie Coyle-Mathieu Olivier

Zach Aston Reese-Brendon Gaunce-Kent Johnson

Defense

Zach Werenski-Denton Mateychuk

Ivan Provorov-Damon Severson

Jake Christiansen-Dante Fabbro

Goalie: Elvis Merzlikins, expected

Special Teams

Penguins’ power play: 29.6%, 3rd. Penguins penalty kill: 81.5%, 10th.

Blue Jackets power play: 18.4%, 21st. Blue Jackets penalty kill: 76.1%, 28th.

Penguins Game Notes

One-sided rivalry: The Penguins have points in 17 of their last 18 games (13-1-4) against the Blue Jackets dating back to Dec. 12, 2019, and are 5-1-2 in their last eight games at Nationwide Arena.

The Penguins are also becoming road warriors. They are 5-3-3- in their last 11 roadies.

Parker Wotherspoon is riding a career-long three-game point streak (4A) and
has five points (5A) over his last five games.

Sidney Crosby’s 23 goals mean he is tied for seventh in the NHL, and only
Boston’s Morgan Geekie (25) has more goals in the Eastern Conference.

With Blake Lizotte in the lineup, the Penguins are 18-7-6.

Kris Letang will tie Montreal Canadiens great Larry Robinson with 1202 games played for one team today.

With his tally Saturday, Chinakhov became the 24th different Penguins player to score a goal this season. Only the Vancouver Canucks (25) have more goal scorers.

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