With little more than a handful of covalent bonds keeping them connected to playoff contention, the Pittsburgh Penguins have turned to backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to keep the remainder of their 2023-24 regular season consequential.

On Saturday, he started his fourth consecutive game but wasn’t able to buoy the Penguins enough as they suffered a 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Goals by Blue Jackets forward Alexandre Texier and defenseman Damon Severson were the difference in the five-round shootout.

Unofficially making 35 saves on 38 shots in regulation and overtime and stopping three of five shots in the shootout, Nedeljkovic saw his record slip to 12-6-6. Supplanting All-Star Tristan Jarry as the team’s top goaltender — at least for the team’s four most recent games – Nedeljkovic is 2-0-2 since moving to the top of the depth chart.

“They keep calling my name,” Nedeljkovic said Thursday after a 3-2 home win against the Blue Jackets. “I just keep doing the best I can.”

It would be charitable to suggest the Penguins did their best in this game considering how charitable they were in yielding a two-goal lead in the third period.

“We’ve got to defend better,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said to the Associated Press in Columbus. “That’s what we can learn.”

Compounding the Penguins’ woes on Saturday was the premature departure of forward Michael Bunting who did not record a shift beyond the 1:02 mark of the third period. According to the team’s X social media account, Sullivan told media in Columbus that Bunting left the contest due to an unspecified illness.

The Blue Jackets opened the scoring when forward Mathieu Olivier scored a short-handed goal 7:47 into regulation.

From the center point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang fanned on a pass and allowed Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger to claim possession and initiate transition. Generating a two-on-one rush against Letang, Sillinger gained the Penguins’ zone on the left wing and centered a pass to Olivier. Surging to the right circle, Olivier avoided a diving poke check from Letang and shuffled a forehand pass to the crease. Sillinger tried to tap the puck on net but wound up pushing it wide to the right of the cage. As Sillinger and backchecking Penguins forward Bryan Rust bumped into Nedeljkovic, Olivier was able to settle the puck and tuck in a backhander for his fifth goal of the season. Sillinger had the lone assist.

The Penguins issued a coach’s challenge on the basis of goaltender interference, but officials found no evidence of such malfeasance and issued a delay of game penalty to the Penguins.

pic.twitter.com/WqKcEA5ayb

— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) March 31, 2024

It was the 11th short-handed goal the Penguins have allowed this season, tying the Montreal Canadiens for the NHL lead.

Penguins forward Drew O’Connor’s 13th goal of the season tied the game at 13:29 of the second period.

After ragging the puck a bit in the right corner of the offensive zone to all his team a line change, Penguins forward Lars Eller rimmed it around the opposite corner to the left half-wall for Rust, who then offloaded a pass to the near point for defenseman Marcus Pettersson. From there, Pettersson dished it back to Rush on the boards. As O’Connor found some open space in the right circle, Rust hesitated for a moment then fed a seam pass for O’Connor, who leaned to his left knee and dropped the hammer on a one-timer that toasted goaltender Elvis Merzlikins’ glove on the near side. O’Connor extended a goal-scoring streak to three games while Rust and Pettersson registered assists.

A thing of beauty ????

Drew O’Connor has tied his season/career-long goal streak of three games! pic.twitter.com/GYgTai5lWq

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 31, 2024

Rust supplied the Penguins with their first lead of the contest at 18:55 of the second frame with his 24th goal through a designed faceoff play.

Penguins forward Sidney Crosby beat Blue Jackets rookie forward Dmitri Voronkov on a draw in Columbus’ left circle and shuffled the puck to the near half wall for defenseman Erik Karlsson, who then fed a pass to Letang stationed at the blue line. Turning to his right, Letang dished the puck to a backpedaling Crosby, who circumnavigated his way to the right circle. As the Blue Jackets reacted to Crosby, a passing lane opened up and Crosby slipped the puck back to the left circle for Rust, who choked up a bit on his shooting mechanics and swept a forehand shot to the near side by the right skate of a helpless Merzlikins. Assists went to Crosby and Letang.

Doesn't look Rusty to us ???? pic.twitter.com/YKv2FuDHLM

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 31, 2024

Forward Rickard Rakell’s 12th goal gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead 8:59 into the third period.

Following a neutral zone turnover by Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Bean, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin claimed possession and gained the offensive zone near the center point, Crossing over with Rakell, Malkin left a drop pass and drove to the left circle against former Penguins defenseman Erik Gudbranson. Rakell took the puck and took advantage of the open space created by Malkin by navigating his way down the slot. From just about the lower left hashmark, Rakell flicked a backhander that clunked off the inside of Merzlikins’ blocker and into the cage. Malkin claimed the only assist.

The defensive effort, the offensive finish ???? pic.twitter.com/ofAi41fM16

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 31, 2024

The Blue Jackets responded only nine seconds later when forward Kirill Marchenko scored his 19th goal off the ensuing faceoff.

From the right wing of the neutral zone, Severson clunked a bank pass off the opposite boards, proving Marchenko entry into the offensive zone. As Marchenko cut inside the left circle, Letang slipped off his skates. Marchenko took full advantage of that and lasered a wrister to the far side by Nedeljkovic’s glove. Severson and defensive partner Zach Werenski had assists.

pic.twitter.com/WCP8uWKam1

— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) March 31, 2024

Werenski’s seventh goal of the season tied the game again at 11:47 of the third period.

Digging a puck off the left half wall of the Penguins’ zone against Rakell and Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi, Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau left a backhand pass for an onrushing Weresnki. Darting into the left circle, Werenski deked past Penguins rookie defenseman Jack St. Ivany and snapped a wrister between the near post and Nedeljkovic’s blocker. Gaudreau had the only assist.

Columbus goal!

Scored by Zach Werenski with 08:13 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Johnny Gaudreau.

Columbus: 3Pittsburgh: 3#PITvsCBJ #CBJ #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/cFxbRYehuZ

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 31, 2024

Crosby scored the Penguins’ lone shootout goal.

Merzlikins made 30 saves on 33 shots in regulation and overtime then stopped four of five shootout attempts to record his first career win against the Penguins (1-6-0).

“In five years, all the times I’ve played against them, I couldn’t do it,” Merzlikins said to the AP. “Tonight, I did it. It feels good.”

Notes:

• Rust (362 points) surpassed forward Mike Bullard (360) for 18th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Rakell (104 points) surpassed forward Andy Bathgate (103) for 90th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves was scratched due to a concussion.

• Penguins forward Emil Bemstrom and defenseman Ryan Shea were healthy scratched.

• The Blue Jackets snapped a six-game losing streak.

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