Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan 18, 2026. Final score: Columbus Blue Jackets 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 18, 2026 |
| Venue | PPG Paints Arena |
| Columbus Blue Jackets score | 4 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins score | 3 |
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 | Connor Clifton | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18:13 | 0.13 | 2.19 |
| 2nd | Sidney Crosby | C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:57 | 1.16 | 2.02 |
| 3rd | Danton Heinen | L | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10:33 | 0.35 | 1.64 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Columbus Blue Jackets–Pittsburgh Penguins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 02:42 | CBJ | Zachary Aston-Reese | Zach Werenski, Brendan Gaunce | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 09:59 | PIT | Connor Clifton | Tommy Novak | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 17:52 | PIT | Rickard Rakell | Sidney Crosby | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 07:32 | CBJ | Kirill Marchenko | — | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 17:38 | CBJ | Danton Heinen | Erik Gudbranson, Egor Zamula | 5v5 | 3–2 |
| 3rd 18:59 | PIT | Sidney Crosby | Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin | 6v5 | 3–3 |
| P5 00:00 | CBJ | Kent Johnson | — | 0v1 | 3–3 |
| P5 00:00 | PIT | Yegor Chinakhov | — | 1v0 | 3–3 |
| P5 00:00 | CBJ | Charlie Coyle | — | 0v1 | 3–3 |
Team Comparison
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 25 | 32 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.65 | 4.20 |
| High-danger shots | 15 | 26 |
| Corsi % | 41.8% | 58.2% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 41.9% | 58.1% |
| Hits | 24 | 17 |
| Blocks | 24 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 10 | 3 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danton Heinen | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10:33 | 0.35 | 1.64 |
| Zachary Aston-Reese | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7:32 | 0.21 | 1.26 |
| Brendan Gaunce | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9:25 | 0.05 | 1.04 |
| Egor Zamula | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:40 | 0.01 | 0.94 |
| Erik Gudbranson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19:50 | 0.00 | 0.60 |
| Kirill Marchenko | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18:38 | 0.62 | 0.59 |
| Damon Severson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 28:06 | 0.23 | 0.56 |
| Cole Sillinger | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:37 | 0.00 | 0.32 |
| Mathieu Olivier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:40 | 0.00 | 0.23 |
| Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:30 | 0.45 | -0.15 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4:34 | 0.00 | -0.22 |
| Zach Werenski | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 29:18 | 0.12 | -0.23 |
| Boone Jenner | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:17 | 0.74 | -0.30 |
| Dmitri Voronkov | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:57 | 0.12 | -0.34 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:46 | 0.59 | -0.48 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:59 | 0.00 | -0.80 |
| Kent Johnson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:31 | 0.42 | -0.84 |
| Ivan Provorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27:07 | 0.13 | -1.73 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Clifton | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18:13 | 0.13 | 2.19 |
| Sidney Crosby | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 21:57 | 1.16 | 2.02 |
| Evgeni Malkin | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 20:06 | 0.74 | 1.30 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25:55 | 0.01 | 1.23 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:24 | 0.52 | 1.20 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:41 | 0.05 | 1.03 |
| Rickard Rakell | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 21:55 | 0.52 | 0.80 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:59 | 0.66 | 0.78 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21:55 | 1.26 | 0.42 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:12 | 0.24 | 0.29 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:54 | 0.12 | 0.21 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:50 | 0.00 | 0.13 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:14 | 0.10 | 0.09 |
| Yegor Chinakhov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:05 | 0.41 | 0.07 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:46 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Blake Lizotte | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:09 | 0.00 | -0.09 |
| Jack St. Ivany | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:06 | 0.00 | -0.12 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:13 | 0.23 | -0.13 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elvis Merzlikins | Columbus Blue Jackets | 30 | 33 | 90.6% | 3.17 | W |
| Arturs Silovs | Pittsburgh Penguins | 23 | 26 | 88.0% | 0.27 | O |
Analysis
The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–3 on Jan 18, 2026, a one-goal game.
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 4.2 expected goals to Columbus Blue Jackets's 2.65 — Pittsburgh Penguins owned the better of the chances but Columbus Blue Jackets took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Connor Clifton led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.19 on 1 goal, 1 shots on goal.
Elvis Merzlikins stopped 30 of 33, worth 3.17 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins game?
The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–3 on Jan 18, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Columbus Blue Jackets 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Connor Clifton led all skaters at 2.19, on 1G, 0A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 4.2 expected goals and Columbus Blue Jackets generated 2.65, so Pittsburgh Penguins created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Columbus Blue Jackets put 25 shots on goal and Pittsburgh Penguins put 32. High-danger chances went 15 to 26.