In the weird split-squad setup that saw two different Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets game happen yesterday, the Pens took the home matinee 3-2 in overtime courtesy of a Jason Zucker goal. CBJ would ice a much better lineup in the second game, and unsurprisingly protected their home ice in a non-competitive 5-1 victory.
There’s usually not a lot of fireworks in the NHL preseason, and even less to take away as meaningful from the very first games where so very few difference making players were out there. All of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, Kris Letang, all those guys got the day off yesterday as the exhibition schedule slowly ramps up.