Pittsburgh Penguins shut out Blue Jackets for fourth straight win
It was a night of firsts for Pittsburgh Penguins goaltenderJeff Zatkoff. Not only did he get his first National Hockey League win as the Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second straight night, but also got his first NHL shutout in the 3-0 victory Saturday night at Nationwide Arena, the Penguins fourth in a row.
Just like last night in Pittsburgh it was the Penguins (11-4-0, 22 points) striking first, but the goal came from an unlikely source. Deryk Engelland scored his second goal of the season when he wristed one top shelf on the glove side of Blue Jackets goaltenderCurtis McElhinneyoff an assist fromJoe Vitale.
In the third period, the Penguins increased their lead to 2-0 whenChris Kunitztried to center a pass toSidney Crosby, butBlake Comeautipped the puck past his own goaltender, giving the Penguins a 2-0 lead. The goal was Kunitz’s fourth in four games and eighth of the season.
Jussi Jokinentapped off the victory with an empty net goal, his seventh of the season. Crosby andEvgeni Malkinearned assists on the game-clinching play.
Zatkoff, a 26-year-old who had never played an NHL game until last month, made 19 saves as the Penguins shut the Jackets down on their home ice. The Penguins really focused on the defensive end, holding Columbus (5-8-0, 10 points) to very few scoring chances.
The Penguins look to continue their momentum when they take on the New York Rangers on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.