The Columbus Blue Jackets expected to have a tough time scoring against Marc-Andre Fleury.
Jeff Zatkoff? Probably not.
Zatkoff stopped all 18 shots from Columbus en route to his first career shutout as the Penguins emerged victorious 3-0 at Nationwide Arena. It was a much better effort for Zatkoff, who had given up ten combined goals in his first two starts this season, both resulting in losses.
Deryk Engelland broke a scoreless tie 6:46 into the second period. Joe Vitale wired a perfect pass to Engelland who was positioned in the right-wing circle. Engelland whipped the puck past goaltender Curtis McElhinney, whizzing the shot over his shoulder.
Chris Kunitz scored just 47 seconds into the third period to extend the Pittsburgh lead to two. Kunitz skated down the right side and tried to center the puck to Jussi Jokinen who was cutting to the net. Instead, Blake Comeau reached out and accidentally tipped the puck into his own net.
The next few minutes were owned by Jeff Zatkoff. The back up to Marc-Andre Fleury made several stops to prevent Columbus from getting back into the contest. Zatkoff made a save with his mask and temporarily lost sight of the puck. He was able to regain vision of the puck to prevent a wraparound attempt.
Jokinen would add an empty net goal to secure the home and home sweep against the Blue Jackets.
- The Penguins are 11-4-1 all-time against the Blue Jackets.
- Engelland’s goal was the second game-winner in his career (last GWG was March 3rd, 2012).
- Jussi Jokinen (8) and Chris Kunitz (7) have scored one-third of the Penguins goals this season.
Three Stars
- Deryk Engelland
- Jeff Zatkoff
- Curtis McElhinney
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
