PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby reached a milestone with his 25th goal of the season, adding an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 on Friday night. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust contributed with both a goal and an assist each, while Evgeni Malkin, Noel Acciari, and Bokondji Imama also added to the scoreboard for the Penguins. The Penguins boast an impressive 22-3-4 record in their last 28 encounters with Columbus. In his first start since March 7, Alex Nedeljkovic made 44 saves.
For the Blue Jackets, Boone Jenner found the net for the first time after recovering from shoulder surgery, with Kent Johnson and Justin Danforth also scoring. Despite their efforts, Columbus could not overcome a 5-2 deficit. Elvis Merzlikins, fresh from a 1-0 overtime defeat against Florida the night before, managed 28 saves.
Crosby achieved his 13th season in the NHL with at least 25 goals, a feat shared by only 12 other players in history. He is merely four points away from surpassing Wayne Gretzky and achieving an NHL-record 20th point-per-game season. Currently, Crosby is on a roll with six goals and 10 points over a six-game streak and has scored in 12 consecutive home matches, marking the fifth-longest streak for a player 37 years or older.
Facing challenges in back-to-back games, the Blue Jackets are 1-8 in such situations this season and have managed only four goals in their last five matches.
**Key Takeaways**
Blue Jackets: Columbus continues its struggle with a sixth straight loss, falling further behind Montreal for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have dropped eight out of their last nine games.
Penguins: Pittsburgh is on a positive trajectory, winning five out of the last six games, including a four-game winning streak that was only broken by a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders earlier this week.
**Pivotal Moment**
Bokondji Imama provided a crucial moment, netting a one-timer following a faceoff win in the offensive zone at 8:15 of the second period, putting the Penguins ahead 4-2.
**Notable Stat**
In home games against Columbus, the Penguins hold a dominant record, only falling to four regulation losses since the 2000-01 season, standing at 24-4-1.
**Looking Ahead**
Next, the Penguins are set to visit the Florida Panthers on Sunday, while the Blue Jackets will face the New York Islanders on Monday.