Blue Tuesday for Pens
PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby, out. Evgeni Malkin, out. Chris Kunitz, late scratch.
With Pittsburgh’s top three goal scorers injured, there was no way Columbus would get embarrassed again by the Penguins.
Rick Nash and Jakub Voracek each had a goal and an assist to lead the Blue Jackets past the Penguins 4-1 Tuesday night.
Samuel Pahlsson and Antoine Vermette also scored for Columbus, and goalie Steve Mason was sensational with 32 saves.
The Blue Jackets avenged a 7-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Dec. 4, when Crosby had two goals for the Penguins. At the Consol Energy Center, Crosby was missing for the 14th straight game.
In the first meeting, not only did the Penguins win in a blowout, they turned Columbus into Penguins territory. The capacity crowd in Ohio was bolstered by several thousand Penguins fans, many wearing Crosby’s No. 87 sweater.
This time, a fast 3-0 lead silenced the fans.
“I was frustrated after that. That was embarrassing, especially for myself, people watching it back home, and to see our team represented that way,” Blue Jackets center R.J. Umberger said. “Tonight, it was in the back of our minds but, more than anything, the two points were first in our mind.”
Tyler Kennedy spoiled Mason’s shutout bid with a power-play goal in the third period to make it 3-1. But by then, it was too late for the decimated Penguins.
Pittsburgh added center Kunitz to an injury list that already includes Crosby (concussion) and Malkin (knee). Kunitz has a lower-body injury and is day to day.
Crosby, Malkin and Kunitz have combined for 65 goals this season. No Penguins player in the lineup Tuesday night had more than 10 goals.
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said he talked to Kunitz about 90 minutes before the game and expected to have him in the lineup. But 30 minutes before the start, Bylsma was told Kunitz was out.
“I don’t think that was the reason why, or not having other players in the lineup, was the reason why we weren’t able to have success tonight,” Bylsma said.
