A Friday night in the NHL features a Metropolitan Division matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Welcome to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey! Each day, we examine upcoming games, providing predictions and analyzing head-to-head matchups. In today’s prediction article, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins visit Nationwide Arena to face the Blue Jackets. Crosby continues he pursuit of 600 goals, as he currently sits at 598. Be sure to check out more NHL Predictions for all the games throughout the season at Last Word on Hockey!
NHL Predictions
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Head-to-Head: Penguins 0-0 Blue Jackets
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: NHL Network; Sportsnet+
Nearing the quartermark, both teams in this matchup are looking to find their footing. The Penguins have started with a measly 6-9-3 record, struggling mightily with inconsistency. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have had a challenging start, going 5-8-2, securing 12 out of a possible 30 points in their games so far.
The Penguins’ Story
Pittsburgh has experienced an extremely disappointing start to the season. Forwards Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby lead the way, with 18 and 16 points to start the season, respectively. However, the forward group lacks depth, especially following the Lars Eller trade. With Eller having been one of the Penguin’s highest scoring forwards, a lacking forward group has become further depleted. Furthermore, the defensive group of the Penguins has been disastrous to say the least. Lacklustre play from defenders like Erik Karlsson and Ryan Graves have contributed to the teams defensive failings to start the year.
In goal, both Joel Blomqvist and Alex Nedeljkovic were lit up by the Dallas Stars earlier in the week. Following a 4-1-0 stint in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre, Tristan Jarry may make his return to the NHL in this game against the Blue Jackets. Jarry will need to quickly find his form to help the Penguins out of their rut. As a roster note, Blomqvist was returned to the AHL yesterday.
The Blue Jackets’ Story
Following a devastating tragedy in the offseason, the Blue Jackets have had to additionally contend with injuries to their lineup early in the season. As a result of this, the team is on a six-game losing skid. The Jackets have struggled to maintain leads and shut down offensive lineups. Kirill Marchenko has been a pleasant bright spot for the team, his 15 points in 15 games make him the Blue Jackets’ only point-per-game player at the moment. Forwards Sean Monahan and Yegor Chinakhov have had offensive success as well.
Goaltending-wise, both Daniil Tarasov and Elvis Merzlikins have been subpar at best. Tarasov is 3-3-1 with an abysmal .865 save percentage. Meanwhile, Merzlikins’ 2-5-1 record and .896 SV% are not much better. If the Penguins are to break out of their own slump to win this won, exploiting the goaltending will be a key to this.
NHL Predictions Pens and Jackets
The Penguins are playing unenergetic, uninspired hockey. While their team may have talent on paper, the mix is in not working at the moment. Until the players buy into the systems and begin supporting their goaltender, the team should not expect to improve much. The Blue Jackets on the other hand have a close-knit locker room, and have shown tenacity and fight this season. I expect the Blue Jackets to push harder to snap out of their funk and beat the Penguins in this one.
Prediction: Blue Jackets win 4-2 in overtime
Prop Bets of the Night
A correct score of 4-2 Blue Jackets would net you a +4600 on Fanduel, given where the defences of either teams are, this could be a solid bet.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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