No three-game winning streak, and no win in Pittsburgh.
Reilly Smith had three points with a goal and two assists to extend the Pittsburgh Penguins' mastery over the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 on Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
Smith picked up career points No. 500, 501, and 502.
Evgeni Malkin had two points with a goal and an assist. Jesse Puljujarvi, Rickard Rakell, and Jeff Carter scored for Pittsburgh.
Ryan Graves had two assists, and Emil Bemstrom picked up an assist.
Tristan Jarry made 33 saves to improve to 8-1-1 against the Blue Jackets in his career.
Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke each had two points with a goal and an assist.
Johnny Gaudreau scored for Columbus. Gaudreau is on a three-game point streak (two goals, one assist).
Zach Werenski, Jake Bean, and Alexander Texier picked up assists.
Werenski now has 200 career assists and is on a four-game point streak (zero goals, five assists). He trails David Vyborny (204) and Rick Nash (258) on the franchise's all-time assists list. Texier is on a three-game point streak (one goal, three assists).
Jet Greaves made 26 saves. Cole Sillinger played his 200th career game.
Marchenko Scratched, Peeke Scores
Kirill Marchenko was a healthy scratch for head coach Pascal Vincent and the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
Marchenko is the team's second-leading scorer with 17 goals and is third with 32 points. The move raised eyebrows, to say the least.
Why go 11-7 and bring in Andrew Peeke for Marchenko?
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) March 5, 2024
Vincent: (Andrew Peeke) is giving his best. He's low maintenance. He's a great pro. He works hard in practices. Even the games that he got scratched, the game that he's played before that, he didn't deserve to be scratched.
Peeke drew into the lineup for just his 22nd game and made Vincent's move look brilliant as he scored at the 5:28 mark of the second period to tie the game at 2-2.
How about Andrew Peeke, scoring his first of the season. Assists to Bean and Texier. pic.twitter.com/6BNfS3vY4M #CBJ
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 6, 2024
Gaudreau scored 57 seconds earlier at 4:31.
Gaudreau scores his 10th with assists to Roslovic and Werenski. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/dp2KRoKb4W
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 6, 2024
It wasn't all rosy for Peeke.
Carter's goal gave the Penguins a 4-3 lead at the 8:26 mark of the third period as the puck pinballed off Greaves onto Peeke and into the net.
Another one for the black and goal-d pic.twitter.com/Xi9mO9kLz5
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2024
Roslovic Stays Hot
Roslovic led Blue Jackets forwards with a goal and an assist. His shorthanded goal tied the game 3-3 at 8:04 of the third period. Peeke picked up the assist on the play for his second point.
Roslovic's shorthanded goal, assisted by Peeke. pic.twitter.com/jfTZbtjwl4 #CBJ
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 6, 2024
Roslovic is a name to watch with Friday's looming trade deadline. He has 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) on the season and 12 points (three goals, nine assists) over his last eleven games.
Pens' Continue Mastery
Tuesday's loss drops the Blue Jackets mark to 4-17-5, all-time in Pittsburgh in regular-season play.
All total, Columbus has five wins if you include the Game 2, 4-3, double-overtime win during the 2013-14 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Apr. 19, 2014. Columbus' last win in Pittsburgh was Nov. 13, 2015, when they won 2-1.
With the 4-3 loss, the Blue Jackets are 0-9-5 in Pittsburgh since their last victory in the Steel City.
McDavid & Co.
The Blue Jackets are back at it on Thursday, Mar. 7, from Nationwide Arena when they take on the Edmonton Oilers to wrap up the two-game season series. Edmonton took the first matchup 4-1 in Alberta on Jan. 23. Puck drop is 7:00 p.m. ET.
