The Pittsburgh Penguins’ fate as it pertains to the upcoming trade deadline – to say nothing of the approaching postseason – was probably determined well before Tuesday’s entanglement with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

And even if they claimed a 5-3 home victory – their 14th consecutive win against the Blue Jackets within the confines of PPG Paints Arena – they are likely bound to jettison any of their marketable assets to other clubs before Friday’s deadline in the name of getting better.

For next season.

Or beyond.

But the players on the present roster profess to still have hope for the 2023-24 campaign.

They have 22 games remaining in the regular season to validate their resolve.

“(The games are) going to be important until the end,” defenseman Kris Letang said following Tuesday’s morning skate. “If we want to make our way through this and get in, we have to win the most we can.”

The victory was somewhat Pyrrhic, however, as forward Drew O’Connor, one of the team’s more effective forwards as of late, left the game following the second period after being diagnosed with a concussion.

Entering the day, the Penguins were already without the services of injured top-liners Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust, each on injured reserve due to undisclosed maladies. Additionally, fourth-liners Noel Acciari and Jansen Harkins were scratched due to undisclosed injuries.

But even with that setback, Tuesday’s win was important on two fronts.

First, it gave the Penguins’ playoff hopes a desperate gulp of oxygen.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, it allowed them to feel good by snapping a rough three-game losing streak that took place primarily in Western Canada this past weekend.

“We had a tough road trip, to say the least,” Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry said. “Just getting two points here, hopefully, motivates our group. Hopefully, we’re stronger from it and can put some wins together.”

An unlikely source put together the first goal for the Penguins 13:33 into regulation when forward Jesse Puljujarvi scored his first goal of the season and as a member of the team.

After Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson failed to accept a pass off the left half-wall of his own zone, Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves alertly corralled it at the near point and slipped a clever slap-pass to the left circle for Puljujarvi. Taking the puck on his backhand, Puljujarvi flipped it to his forehand and ripped a wrister by the glove of rookie goaltender Jet Greaves. Graves had the only assist.

PULJUJARVI WITH HIS FIRST AS A PENGUIN! ???? pic.twitter.com/ruduEIakN7

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2024

“I went pretty hard to the forecheck,” Puljujarvi said. “There was that turnover and I (got) a pretty good pass (to) my tape. I get a little space there. I’ll take that.”

A more traditional source provided the Penguins with their second score as forward Evgeni Malkin found his 18th goal at 18:57 of the first period.

From behind his own blue line, Graves snapped a forehand pass to the neutral zone in front of the Blue Jackets’ blue line where Penguins forward Reilly Smith one-touched a deft tap-pass to Malkin chugging up the right wing. With an acre of ice to operate with, Malkin utilized something of an old school tactic one might see from a grainy YouTube video from the 1980s by pulling up in the right circle and cranking a slapper to the far side that blew past Greaves’ blocker. Smith and Graves registered assists.

UNLEASH THE GENO ???? pic.twitter.com/7VVstQ57j3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2024

The Blue Jackets tied the contest, 2-2, with a quick succession of goals in the early stages of the second period.

Forward Johnny Gaudreau’s 10th goal put the visitors on the scoreboard at the 4:31 mark.

Claiming a missed pass along the Penguins’ end board, Blue Jackets forward Jack Roslovic curled around the back of the cage and circumnavigated his way to the left circle where he dished a seam pass to the opposite circle for Gaudreau. Largely unimpeded, Gaudreau pumped a one-timer that eluded the left skate of defenseman Marcus Pettersson then clunked off the inside of goaltender Tristan Jarry’s left leg dand eflected into the cage. Assists went to Roslovic and defenseman Zach Werenski.

Here's Johnny!

Johnny Gaudreau gets the @BlueJacketsNHL on the board with a one-timer early in the second period against the Penguins.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/M7LsXmwcRK

— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) March 6, 2024

That was followed by defenseman Andrew Peeke’s first goal of the season only 57 seconds later.

Accepting a pass at the right point of the offensive zone, Peeke surveyed for a shooting lane and chucked a wrister that glanced off the stick of Malkin — stationed in the crease — and caromed by Jarry’s blocker. Defenseman Jake Bean and forward Alexandre Texier tallied assists.

Peeking at the right time!

Andrew Peeke scores the game-tying goal off of a deflection early in the second period against the Penguins.@BlueJacketsNHL | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/vnFoT1iJgG

— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) March 6, 2024

A fortunate bounce led to Penguins forward Rickard Rakell restoring a lead, 3-2, with his ninth goal during a power-play sequence.

From the left circle of the offensive zone, Penguins rookie forward Valtteri Puustinen leaned down and chopped a one-timer that was off the mark and missed on the near side. The puck clunked off the end boards. From the right of the cage, ex-Penguins defenseman Erik Gudbranson tried to clear the puck but wound up blasting it off of Rakell’s left skate, causing it to deflect into the cage. There were no assists.

RAK ON ???? pic.twitter.com/fQ2uuZJVnn

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2024

The teams exchanged special teams goals during a Penguins’ power-play sequence midway through the third period.

First, Roslovic scored his fifth goal of the season at the 8:04 mark while short-handed.

After Rakell broke his stick firing a one-timer in the Blue Jackets’ left circle, Peeke blocked the puck, which bounced above the circle. Claiming possession, Roslovic initiated transition in a one-on-one rush against Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson. Gaining the offensive zone on the right wing, Roslovic accepted the ample space Karlsson afforded him and lifted a wrister to the far side that toasted Jarry’s blocker. The lone assist went to Peeke.

Turning defense into offense.

Jack Roslovic takes a rebound off of a blocked shot by Andrew Peeke, skates up ice and buries the game-tying short-handed goal near the midway point of the third period.@BlueJacketsNHL | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/M5kZzL7Ogp

— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) March 6, 2024

Penguins forward Jeff Carter responded only 22 seconds later with his eighth goal on the same power-play opportunity.

Hustling up the left wing boards of the offensive zone, former Blue Jackets forward Emil Bemstrom hounded Gudbranson into a turnover, which Carter claimed on a supporting forecheck. Maneuvering into the right circle, Carter forced a pass to the crease where it pinballed off of Greaves then Peeke and into the cage. Bemstrom and Smith had assists.

Another one for the black and goal-d ???????? pic.twitter.com/Xi9mO9kLz5

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2024

Smith restored a two-goal lead at 9:53 of the final frame with his 11th goal.

After Malkin pestered Werenski into a turnover in the Blue Jackets’ left corner, he backhanded a pass to the slot where Smith smoked a one-timer behind an aggrieved Greaves. The sole assist went to Malkin.

THREE POINTS ON THE NIGHT FOR REILLY SMITH!

And how about that play from Malkin? ???? pic.twitter.com/hmgkZg703Y

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2024

With a goal and two assists, Smith enjoyed one of his better games in a season that has been largely underwhelming for him individually.

“I probably had more turnovers than good plays,” Smith said. “But sometimes, it’s nice to just find the back of the net and help out my linemates (to) score because it hasn’t been going that way.”

Jarry unofficially made 33 saves on 36 shots and improved his record to 18-19-4 in a contest that had several odd bounces that led to offense.

“It’s just one of those nights where you have to keep battling,” Jarry said. “I don’t think the both of us (goalies) expect those kinds of bounces to happen, but you have to be prepared. Sometimes they go in and you just have to move by it.”

No matter what moves the Penguins make between this game and Friday’s deadline, their rank-and-file pledge to pursue a common direction for however long their 2023-24 season lasts.

“We want to win every game,” Pettersson said. “That’s how we’re going to look at it. We’re competitive people, proud people and we’re going to keep scratching and clawing.”

Notes:

• Carter leads the Penguins with four game-winning goals this season.

• Carter broke into the Penguins’ top 100 career scorers with 95 points. He surpassed defensemen Paul Baxter, Ulf Samuelsson and forward Wally Boyer (94 each).

• Smith’s first assist was his 500th career point.

• The Penguins have scored a power-play goal in six of their past nine games.

• The Penguins have allowed nine short-handed goals this season. Only the Montreal Canadiens (11) have allowed more.

• The Penguins’ 14-game home winning streak against the Blue Jackets is the longest such active streak in the NHL. The Blue Jackets’ last road win against the Penguins was a 2-1 victory on Nov. 13, 2015. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves on 28 shots in the defeat.

• Before Tuesday, Puljujarvi’s most recent NHL goal came with the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-3 road win against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 11, 2023. It was the game-winner:

Before tonight, Jesse Puljujarvi's most recent NHL goal came with the Oilers in a 6-3 road win against the Senators on Feb. 11, 2023.

It was the game-winner. pic.twitter.com/U3Q7J5BVqq

— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) March 6, 2024

• After being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earlier in the afternoon, rookie forward Joona Koppanen opened the contest as the Penguins’ fourth-line center due to the absences of Acciari and Harkins.

• Penguins rookie defenseman John Ludvig was the team’s lone healthy scratch.

• Before Tuesday, Peeke’s last goal came in a 3-2 home overtime win against the Penguins on April 13, 2023.

In the Penguins’ regular season finale of the 2022-23 campaign, Peeke scored a game-tying goal on Jarry:

Andrew Peeke lasers the puck in the goal to tie up the game!#CBJ pic.twitter.com/GnS7MXz3K1

— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) April 14, 2023

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