"I like it that we stuck with it,"
Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. "We weren't perfect.
There are areas where we have to be better, but the bottom line is we
found a way to win. Boone does a really good job down low, dragging
the puck. If he's able to get the puck in open ice, whether it's a
pass or whether it's a shot. Right now the combination (of Boone,
Marian Gaborik
and Brandon
Dubinsky) is working well."
"I have to give credit to my linemates and
my teammates," Jenner said. "We all worked pretty
hard tonight. It was kind of a different game, going up three and
then [allowing] three. So when it was tied going into the third, we
just wanted to stick to our game and I thought we did that."
The Penguins announced after the game that goalie
Tomas Vokoun
underwent a procedure to dissolve a blood clot Saturday and is out
indefinitely, putting more emphasis on Fleury heading into the
regular season and with Jeff
Zatkoff now the backup goaltender. Penguins general manager Ray
Shero said Vokoun is resting comfortably. He also said he expects
Fleury to face more pressure with Vokoun out.
"Tomas was undergoing the procedure during
the game," Shero said. "[Fleury's play] has been OK.
It's been a work in progress. If Tomas is out for a little while,
it's going to be a situation where Marc's going to have to step up."
Fleury allowed a third goal, scored by Cam
Atkinson 2:30 into the second period, but Jokinen erased the
deficit with his natural hat trick. He seemed to fit in next to
Evgeni Malkin
and James
Neal, who finished with two assists each, scoring three goals on
a team-leading six shots. Pittsburgh held a 41-24 shot advantage.
Malkin found Jokinen charging toward the Columbus net to set up his
first goal, a backhander past Sergei
Bobrovsky, cutting the Blue Jackets' lead to 3-1. The two hooked
up again, with Malkin backhanding a pass to Jokinen, who deked
Bobrovsky and slid the puck past the goal line, bringing the Penguins
to within 3-2 with 9:36 left in the period. Jokinen is competing for
the spot next to Malkin and Neal with second-year forward Beau
Bennett. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Jokinen and Bennett have
impressed when put in that situation.
"Beau played game one with James and Geno
and played really well and showed a lot in that game,"
Bylsma said. "I think they had eight scoring chances as a
group that game. Jussi is a guy who's played with some very good
players in his career and has done very well. I'm not surprised to
see him be able to fit in and play on that line and have some
chemistry. He's an extremely intelligent player."
Jokinen completed his hat trick at 12:45, handling
a pass from Neal and roofing a shot into the Columbus net. Pittsburgh
held a 15-5 shot advantage after one period but failed to take
advantage of several scoring chances, including an extended 5-on-3
with 5:27 remaining. The Penguins were able to distribute the puck
through the Blue Jackets' crease to Neal multiple times, but the
40-goal-scorer couldn't solve Bobrovsky. After allowing two
power-play goals apiece Sunday, the penalty-killing units performed
well. Columbus didn't allow Pittsburgh to score on five power plays,
and the Penguins denied the Blue Jackets on two chances.
"I think we were able to find chemistry
right away," Jokinen said. "I think we were able to
create some good chances in all three periods. I think some guys [you
have chemistry with] right away. I just tried to fit in and I think
those guys (Malkin and Neal) are pretty easy to play with. I think if
you're playing with them or with Brandon
Sutter or [Tanner] Glass, you have to be smart and change your
game a little bit."
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