COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in game four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs 5-4 with a raucous crowd cheering them on at Nationwide Tuesday. In a desperate struggle for survival the Jackets came up on top. Back and forth with hits galore, this game was won by the team who wanted to win more.
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson (7) checks Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Patric Hornqvist (72) into the boards during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson drew first blood with a shot from the point, a deflection of Sydney Crosby’s skate, and trickled into the net, Johnson was assisted by David Savard at 11:46 in the first period. Chants of “CBJ! CBJ! CBJ!” thundered from the crowd as the Jackets continued their relentless attack on the Pittsburgh goal. Josh Anderson charged down the right wing and beat Pittsburgh netminder Marc Andre Fleury making it 2-0 at 18:56. Anderson was assisted by William Karlsson and Kyle Quincey. By the end of the period the Jackets turned the Pittsburgh net into a shooting gallery firing 13 shots to Pittsburgh’s 5. The first period was finished but the game wasn’t done by a longshot,
The Jackets continued their scoring into the second period. Defenseman Markus Nutivaara made it 3-0 Blue Jackets off a nice tip in at 4:48 assisted by Brandon Saad and Boone Jenner. The Pittsburgh Penguins may have been down, but they were nowhere near finished. Pittsburgh notched their first goal when Patric Hornqvist scored on a onetimer from Phil Kessel and Justin Schultz at 6:43. Check by check, hit by hit, the back and forth by both teams was a slugfest similar to a Rocky and Apollo Creed fight. Then at 16:24 Ron Hainsey made a blistering shot from the boards at the right face off circle, The angle of the shot was mindboggling. Both teams would leave the ice 3-2 Blue Jackets.
The puck dropped to begin the third period. William Karlsson shot the puck and missed wide. With Crosby coming after him, ne bet Crosby to the puck and backhanded it past Fluery making it 4-2 Jackets. Pittsburgh’s Tom Kuhnhackl scored off a rebound given up by Jackets netminder Sergei Bobrovsky at 2:10 making it 4-3 Jackets. Boone Jenner would make it 5-3 Jackets at 5:37 off a rebounded shot by Saad. Pittsburgh would score again with a shot by Jake Guentzel at 19:32, but it was too much, too soon ,or just a little too late. Jackets win 5-4.
Although Pittsburgh played a good hard game it wasn’t enough. Captain Sydney Crosby lamented, “You earn your bounces, and they were better” Crosby said. “They earned the win, and we didn’t have the desperation that we needed to win the game.”
On the other side of the ice, Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella looks to the next game in Pittsburgh. “I wanted them — some guys with limited playoff experience, some of them with none — just to try to enjoy a win,” Tortorella said. “Now we’ll figure out how to go about our business and try to manage the series here.”
The Jackets didn’t go into the dark night. Facing elimination they raged against the dying of the light. With Pittsburgh in the lead 3-1 in the series they return to their home ice. Can the Columbus Blue Jackets come back and win the series when Pittsburgh holds home ice advantage? Some say maybe, but most say no. We shall see.
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno (71) embraces Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) after their win against the Penguins at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky (17) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) fight for position during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: The Star Spangled Banner is sung by Leo Welch before the Blue Jackets face the Penguins at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta (3) takes a shot on goal against Columbus during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Josh Anderson (34) grabs Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) after the whistle during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) makes the save against Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (28) during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara (65) scores against Pittsburgh during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) makes the save against Columbus during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) makes the save against Columbus during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins center Nick Bonino (13)gets hit by Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Brandon Saad (20) during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) makes the save against Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (28) during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara (65) scores against Pittsburgh during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes the save against Pittsburgh during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley (6) fights for the puck against Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Gabriel Carlsson (53) during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ron Hainsey (65) celebrates his goal against Columbus with his team mates during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard (58) collides with Pittsburgh Penguins center Jake Guentzel (59) during their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
April 18, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner (38) scores against Pittsburgh during the third period in their game at Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
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