Crosby lifts Penguins past Blue Jackets 4-3

COLUMBUS (AP) — Pittsburgh scored twice in the final three 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.

With a large portion of the capacity crowd of 19,136 cheering for the Penguins, the Blue Jackets slowly built a two-goal lead.

Nash broke through late in the first on the power play. He collected the puck behind the cage and tried a wraparound, the puck sliding to the right wing where Derick Brassard’s wrister was blocked by Johnson. Nash had skated to the slot and was knocked down. While still on his knees, the rebound came to him and he jammed the puck in for his seventh of the season.