Tale of the tape
Penguins Columbus
Record 31-13-5 33-12-4
Goals/game 3.55 (1st) 3.35 (3rd)
Goals against/game 2.90 (22nd) 2.39 (5th)
Power play 22.9 percent (4th) 24.6 (1st)
Last 10 games 5-5-0 5-5-0
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Updated less than a minute ago
By the time the Penguins raised the Stanley Cup in San Jose last June, the Columbus Blue Jackets had been on the links long enough to shave a few strokes off their handicaps.
It's not exactly accurate to say the Penguins' road to a championship ran through Ohio's capital city.
But as the Interstate-70 rivals prepare to square off in a key Metropolitan Division showdown Friday night at PPG Paints Arena, it's important to remember that two key mileposts during the Penguins' historic season indeed came out of games against the Blue Jackets.
Dec. 21, 2015.
In the previous meeting between the teams about three weeks earlier in Columbus, Brandon Dubinsky was suspended for a game for a vicious series of cross-checks to Sidney Crosby's back, neck and head. In general, the Blue Jackets pushed the Penguins around.
When the rematch came just before Christmas, in the first minute of the second period, Eric Fehr earned his first NHL fighting major when he challenged Dubinsky to a showdown.
Down 1-0 at the time of the fight, the Penguins scored four unanswered goals and won 5-2.
Before the game, they were 15-14-3, on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. After the game, they went 33-12-5 the rest of the way to become the league's hottest team going into the playoffs.
One fight didn't turn the Penguins into contenders, but it did show they wouldn't be taken advantage of.
“I think it's important for us to play physical and not back down,” Fehr said. “Obviously our team isn't as big as other teams around the league, but we can have a pack mentality. We can stick together and help each other out. We can play physical and play hard and battle on pucks and all that stuff.”
March 3, 2016.
In a late-game collision with massive defenseman Dalton Prout, Evgeni Malkin suffered an elbow injury that kept him out the rest of the regular season and the first game of the playoffs.
With that, the HBK line was born.
In the roster shuffling that followed Malkin's injury, coach Mike Sullivan put Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel together for the first time.
Three games later, the trio connected for two goals in a 4-2 victory over Carolina, and Hagelin knew something special was brewing.
“When I started playing with Phil and Bones, we found some chemistry instantly,” Hagelin said. “That's what we had to. With Geno being out, you lose a lot of scoring right there. We picked up the slack, which is good. It was a fun time.”
One line combination didn't make the Penguins champions, but it laid the groundwork for the depth and balance of scoring that made them nearly impossible to defend in the playoffs.
“Everybody kind of settled in and became comfortable with their linemates and what their jobs were for the team,” Fehr said. “From there, we got stronger, and obviously we won a lot of games.”
It's entirely possible that Feb. 3, 2017 will join those memorable dates on the Penguins' historical calendar.
This season, the teams are much closer in the standings. In fact, it's likely the Penguins, Blue Jackets, Capitals and perhaps Rangers will wage an epic battle for the top spot in the Metropolitan down the stretch.
On top of that, the Penguins took a savage 7-1 beating in the first meeting between the teams this season Dec. 22 in Columbus.
The Penguins' prospects for a successful season don't hinge on avenging one loss, of course, but the table is set for a potential statement game.
“At the end of the day, it's a division rival that is a possible playoff opponent who we obviously don't like,” Fehr said. “It's not going to be difficult to get up for the game.”
Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jbombulie@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @BombulieTrib.
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