NHL Predictions: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Head-to-Head: Blue Jackets 1-1 Penguins

Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

How to Watch: Sportsnet+, SNW, SN1, SN-PIT, FDSNOH, 

Zach Werenski and the Columbus Blue Jackets host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, with both teams on the second half of a back-to-back.

Penguins Story

Pittsburgh comes into this game having won four straight. With this streak, the Penguins are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. With a record of 19-12-9, Pittsburgh sits in the top wildcard spot in the east and has put themselves back into Stanley Cup Playoff contention. The biggest key to victory over these four games has been the Penguins ability to score. They’ve scored 20 goals over this four-game win streak. In addition to this, Pittsburgh has tightened up their defence. In their game yesterday against the Detroit Red Wings, the Penguins allowed just 12 shots through the entire game.

New addition Yegor Chinakhov had an excellent game in Detroit. He scored his first goal in a Penguins uniform while developing chemistry with young guns Benjamin Kindel and Rutger McGroarty. Moreover, Sidney Crosby is as great as ever. He is on a six-game point streak, including two points in the win against the Red Wings. He has 23 goals and 45 points through 40 games this season. Furthermore, free agent signing Parker Wotherspoon continues to impress from the backend. His two goals and 15 points through 40 games have come in addition to great defensive play, complementing his defensive partner, Erik Karlsson.

With Stuart Skinner picking up the win against Detroit yesterday, expect Arturs Silovs to get the start in net against Columbus. Silovs is 7-5-6 this season with an .888 save percentage. Although Silovs has had his struggles this season, he’s won his last three-straight starts for Pittsburgh. If the Penguins are able to continue their goal-scoring success, Silovs has a great opportunity to pick up another win in this game. This is a good time for our disclaimer to please check social media before locking in your daily fantasy roster.

Blue Jackets Story

Columbus comes into this game off a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres yesterday. With the win, the Blue Jackets are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games and have an overall record of 18-16-6 on the season. This record places them at the bottom of the East. Inconsistent play and a failure of the young stars of the team to break out have led to the Blue Jackets having yet another disappointing season. It does not seem like they’ll be able to qualify for the playoffs at the halfway point of the season. Additionally, Columbus sits in the bottom half of the league for both goals for and goals against. Against a red-hot Penguins squad, the Blue Jackets will need to execute a much better team game than they have to this point of the season. 

Columbus is led in points by defenceman Zach Werenski. Werenski has blossomed into one of the best left-side defencemen in the NHL. He has 14 goals and 40 points through 35 games this season. Behind him, Kirill Marchenko has 14 goals and 31 points in 35 games this season. However, the Blue Jackets have not gotten the production they were hoping for from their young centres. Former third overall pick Adam Fantilli has mustered up just 12 goals and 25 points through 39 games. Columbus’s fifth overall pick in 2021, Kent Johnson, has scored just three goals and 11 points through 38 games in what is his fifth season in the NHL. For the Jackets to take a step forward, their young centres need to develop past middle-of-the-line production.

As Jett Greaves got the win against the Sabres yesterday, expect Elvis Merzlikins to get the start against Pittsburgh. Merzlikins has struggled this season, with a 6-6-1 record and an .877 save percentage. The Blue Jackets will need to do a good job at insulating him against an explosive offence. 

NHL Prediction

The Pittsburgh Penguins are on absolute fire at the moment. Having won four straight, the team looks confident and is executing a good game on both ends of the ice. Facing off against one of the East’s worst in the Columbus Blue Jackets, expect the Penguins to extend their winning streak to five in this game. 

NHL Prediction: Penguins win 5-3

Prop Bet of the Night

The Penguins are scoring at a high clip this season, and especially over these last four games. The Blue Jackets are another team capable of scoring some goals, so expect a high-scoring game again in this one. With that, a popular prop bet of goals over seven with odds of +164 is a good bet. 

Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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