By RUSTY MILLER
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Pittsburgh scored twice in the final 3 minutes of regulation to tie it and Sidney Crosby had the only goal in the shootout to lead the Penguins to a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.
Brent Johnson stopped 29 shots before the shootout, then stymied Antoine Vermette, Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius in the tiebreaker. The Penguins improved to 6-0-0 on the road, the franchise’s best start ever away from home.
Ruslan Fedotenko and Alex Goligoski scored late goals in a 39-second span to tie it.
Chris Kunitz also had a short-handed goal and an assist. Crosby added two assists.
Nash had two goals – one while on his knees – and Derek Dorsett his first of the season for the Blue Jackets, who lost their third in a row.
Columbus led 3-1 before Fedotenko netted a rebound at the left circle off a wide shot from the right point by Martin Skoula with 2:56 left.
With the Penguins suddenly buzzing, Goligoski took a feed from Crosby seconds later, teed it up in the high slot and beat goalie Steve Mason to the glove side to knot the score.
Mason had 29 saves for Columbus.
The Penguins were playing without center Evgeni Malkin. Sidelined by a strained right shoulder, he missed his first game in three years.
Notes: The Penguins wore their baby blue third jerseys for the first time on the road since the 2008 Winter Classic in Buffalo, a 2-1 shootout victory. ... Goligoski has goals in three straight games, while Crosby stretched his points streak to six in a row.
