After a lengthy five day break to start the regular season, the Columbus Blue Jackets return to the Nationwide Arena as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins for their first Metropolitan rivalry game of the season and first back to back series with travel. Check out the game at 7pm on CBJNHL, CBJHN, SN-PIT in the States or SN+, or TVAS in Canada.
Pittsburgh just completed the first in season trade after flipping forward Fillip Hallander to Edmonton for defender Spencer Stastney. This gifts the Penguins an NHL left handed defender as Stastney and Girard are the only two under team control while having five active right shooters.
Pittsburgh had the flexibility to trade forwards as Bryan Rust returns tonight against Columbus.
Speaking of returns, Damon Severson returns tonight as his season debut for 2026–2027 for the Blues Jackets.
Columbus is need of a turnaround performance after the embarrassing loss to Utah and the confiscated reward by Bowness as he is using his early season tactics to discipline the team toward postseason aspirations.
While the room morale has improved after the Marchenko trade, Knies is the only skater going strong for the Jackets since opening night.
Up front, Voronkov is getting pushed up the lineup while Garland is buried to the fourth line. Cam Talbot is expected to start and make his debut with his ninth team, an NHL record, in the 2026-27 season. Christainsen and Del Bel Belluz are in the press box tonight.
Will Columbus look to take points from a familiar foe in front of the fifth line before traveling to St. Louis?
Projected Lineups
Pittsburgh
Bryan Rust—Sidney Crosby—Rickard Rakell
Egor Chinakov—Tommy Novak—Evgeni Malkin
Hendrix Lapierre—Ben Kindel—Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar—Blake Lizotte—Nicholas Robertson
Declan Carlile—Erik Karlsson
Samuel Girard—Kaden Korczak
Trevor van Riemsdyk—Kris Letang
Arturs Silovs
Sergei Murashov
Scratched — Spencer Stastney, Elmer Soderblom, Ilya Solovyov
Injured — Justin Brazeau, Andrei Kuzmenko
Columbus
Matthew Knies—Adam Fantilli—Kent Johnson
Valeri Nichushkin—Sean Monahan—Dmitry Voronkov
Cole Sillinger—Charlie Coyle—Mathieu Olivier
Ryan Lomberg—Danton Heinen—Connor Garland
Zach Werenski—Damon Severson
Carson Soucy—Denton Mateychuk
Emil Andrae—Erik Gudbranson
Cam Talbot
Jet Greaves
Scratched — Jake Christiansen, Luca Del Bel Belluz
Injured — Issac Lundestrom, Ivan Provorov, Dante Fabbro
Players to Watch
Pittsburgh — Crosby — the noted Jackets’ killer is still around, and is looking to continue to extend his lead breaking point per game season streak. After seeing him in Buffalo for the preseason finale, he is locked into this season.
Columbus — Severson — his season debut will lead to automatic increased minutes and expectations due to the absences of Provorov and Fabbro.
Predicted Final Score
PIT — 5
CBJ — 4
OT/SO