Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan 04, 2026. Final score: Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 04, 2026 |
| Venue | Nationwide Arena |
| Pittsburgh Penguins score | 5 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets score | 4 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kirill Marchenko | R | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16:45 | 0.33 | 1.44 |
| 2nd | Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 25:01 | 0.24 | 1.38 |
| 3rd | Sidney Crosby | C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 24:34 | 0.55 | 1.34 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Pittsburgh Penguins–Columbus Blue Jackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 01:50 | PIT | Ville Koivunen | Ben Kindel, Jack St. Ivany | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 08:21 | CBJ | Dmitri Voronkov | Denton Mateychuk | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 08:48 | CBJ | Mason Marchment | Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 1st 18:38 | CBJ | Kirill Marchenko | Zach Werenski, Denton Mateychuk | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 2nd 00:47 | CBJ | Zach Werenski | Boone Jenner, Mathieu Olivier | 5v5 | 1–4 |
| 2nd 16:51 | PIT | Noel Acciari | Connor Dewar | 5v5 | 2–4 |
| 3rd 03:28 | PIT | Tommy Novak | Ben Kindel | 4v5 | 3–4 |
| 3rd 19:46 | PIT | Rickard Rakell | Anthony Mantha, Sidney Crosby | 5v6 | 4–4 |
| OT 02:22 | PIT | Sidney Crosby | Erik Karlsson, Yegor Chinakhov | 3v3 | 5–4 |
Team Comparison
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Columbus Blue Jackets | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 43 | 25 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.36 | 2.96 |
| High-danger shots | 21 | 12 |
| Corsi % | 63.5% | 36.5% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 53.1% | 46.9% |
| Hits | 14 | 22 |
| Blocks | 14 | 19 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 19 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 7 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24:34 | 0.55 | 1.34 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 14:01 | 0.12 | 1.23 |
| Rickard Rakell | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 24:14 | 0.62 | 1.05 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 12:43 | 0.44 | 0.80 |
| Ville Koivunen | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11:28 | 0.53 | 0.75 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13:29 | 0.14 | 0.75 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:23 | 0.14 | 0.74 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13:18 | 0.13 | 0.74 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 25:46 | 0.16 | 0.74 |
| Jack St. Ivany | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:06 | 0.07 | 0.64 |
| Yegor Chinakhov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12:38 | 0.21 | 0.59 |
| Blake Lizotte | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:54 | 0.11 | 0.15 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:17 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:06 | 0.12 | 0.10 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:14 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:43 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:07 | 0.27 | 0.00 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 22:46 | 0.31 | 0.00 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirill Marchenko | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 16:45 | 0.33 | 1.44 |
| Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 25:01 | 0.24 | 1.38 |
| Zach Werenski | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 25:54 | 0.07 | 1.29 |
| Mason Marchment | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 16:00 | 0.28 | 0.95 |
| Mathieu Olivier | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:14 | 0.48 | 0.79 |
| Boone Jenner | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:49 | 0.12 | 0.79 |
| Dmitri Voronkov | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10:07 | 0.06 | 0.75 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:37 | 0.33 | 0.49 |
| Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:08 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Danton Heinen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:42 | 0.27 | 0.20 |
| Cole Sillinger | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:35 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Brendan Gaunce | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:13 | 0.42 | 0.10 |
| Zachary Aston-Reese | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:10 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Jake Christiansen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:06 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:37 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
| Kent Johnson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:48 | 0.14 | 0.05 |
| Damon Severson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:14 | 0.05 | -0.05 |
| Ivan Provorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28:44 | 0.11 | -0.20 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arturs Silovs | Pittsburgh Penguins | 21 | 25 | 84.0% | -0.03 | W |
| Jet Greaves | Columbus Blue Jackets | 38 | 43 | 88.4% | -0.55 | O |
Analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5–4 on Jan 04, 2026, a one-goal game.
Columbus Blue Jackets generated 2.96 expected goals to Pittsburgh Penguins's 4.36 — Pittsburgh Penguins edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Kirill Marchenko led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.44 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets game?
The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5–4 on Jan 04, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 4.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Kirill Marchenko led all skaters at 1.44, on 1G, 1A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Columbus Blue Jackets generated 2.96 expected goals and Pittsburgh Penguins generated 4.36, so Pittsburgh Penguins created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Pittsburgh Penguins put 43 shots on goal and Columbus Blue Jackets put 25. High-danger chances went 21 to 12.
How did the goaltenders play?
Arturs Silovs stopped 21 of 25 (-0.03 goals saved above expected); Jet Greaves stopped 38 of 43 (-0.55 goals saved above expected).