Following a dominant win Friday and a disappointing loss Sunday, the Jackets entered Pittsburgh for the first half of a back-to-back. Kirill Marchenko and Tim Berni made their NHL debuts, while Elvis Merzlikins got the start.
First Period
The few stragglers in a refreshingly mostly-empty PPG Paints Arena weren’t even in their seats before Patrik Laine fed Johnny Gaudreau with a leading pass to start the game. The latter did his best impression of the former to give Columbus a 1-0 exactly one minute into the game.
BLUE JACKETS GOAL - Johnny Gaudreau from Laine - 1:00 1st Period
— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) December 7, 2022
Not wanting the Penguins to get comfortable, the Jackets kept the pressure on the Penguins, with all four lines getting decent time in the offensive zone and creating chances.