For only the third time in Penguins history the team played two exhibition games in one day. The black-and-gold earned a split in the rare hockey double-header, nipping Columbus 3-2 in overtime in the matinee contest before suffering a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Blue Jackets in the night cap.
In the opener, contested at PPG Paints Arena, the Blue Jackets iced a kid-laden lineup while the Pens went with a mixture of youth and veterans. The visitors snatched a 2-1 lead on goals by former Pen James Neal (trying to earn a spot on a PTO) and Nick Blankenburg, sandwiched around a tally by defenseman Jon Lizotte, who returned to the Pens following a season with the Wild.