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NHL · October 9, 2026

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Final — October 9, 2026

Pittsburgh Penguins logo
2-2-0
2
Goalie Sergei Murashov Confirmed
FINAL
Columbus Blue Jackets logo
1-1-0
3
Goalie Cam Talbot Confirmed
Friday, October 9 · 7:10 PM ET
PITStarting goaliesCBJ
This season
1
Starts
—
.912
Sv%
—
1.000
HDSv%
—
−0.6
GSAx
—
Last season
4
Starts
25
.897
Sv%
.883
1.000
HDSv%
.731
−1.0
GSAx
−10.9
PITOffenseFull 2025-26 regular season (last season)CBJ
3rd3.57
GF/G
3.0916th
10th8.50
PP GF/60
6.8822nd
PITDefenseCBJ
24th3.27
GA/G
3.0916th
7th6.78
PK GA/60
8.3724th
PITTeamCBJ
10th59.8%
Pts%
56.1%15th
8th51.7%
xGF%
51.4%10th
13th50.2%
CF%
50.8%11th
3rd57.4%
HDCF%
50.3%15th
PIT5-on-5CBJ
6th2.72
xGF/60
2.669th
16th2.54
xGA/60
2.5114th
2nd11.1%
Sh%
9.1%22nd
20th90.1%
Sv%
91.1%10th
11th116.9
CF/60 (both)
119.54th
3rd+0.26
GAx/G
−0.1122nd
20th−0.08
GSAx/G
+0.1210th
3rd11.8%
Sh%
9.6%27th
24th89.1%
Sv%
89.9%12th
18th50.8%
xGF% (L20)
53.7%6th
PITSpecial teamsCBJ
12th7.74
PP xG/60
7.2420th
13th80.0
PP FF/60
75.523rd
19th4.6
PP min/G
4.032nd
4th6.50
PK xGA/60
8.7030th
15th4.7
PK min/G
4.511th
PITRecent formCBJ
W@ PHI 7-0Wvs MTL 6-5Lvs WPG 2-3L@ WSH 3-5
Resultsoldest to newest
Wvs BUF 6-3Lvs UTA 1-4
above 50%below 50%above 50%below 50%
Game by game
below 50%above 50%
2-2-0
Record
1-1-0
3-1
Over–under
—
PITHome and roadseason to dateCBJ
1-1-0
Home record
1-1-0
1-1-0
Road record
0-0-0
1-1
Home O/U
—
2-0
Road O/U
—
Top third of the leagueMiddle thirdBottom thirdBar = league rank (full = 1st)
Injuries & restkey injuries · rest and travel
PITRest & travelCBJ
2 days
Days of rest
6 days
328 mi528 km
Travel to the game
Home
PITKey injuriesCBJ
None listed
Players out or limited
None listed
About these numbers

Goalie status from the G&W goalie tracker (Confirmed, Expected, Likely or Not confirmed); teams confirm starters close to puck drop. Season lines come from the NHL Lab goalie tables. GSAx = goals saved above expected (Gridiron & Wine expected goals). HD Sv% = save rate on high-danger shots.

Full 2025-26 regular season (last season), captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (32 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.

2025-26 regular season, public NHL Lab tables; ranks out of 32 teams. Expected goals are Gridiron & Wine's own expected-goals numbers.

2025-26 regular season. Rates are per 60 minutes of power-play or penalty-kill time.

Regular-season results this season, oldest to newest (OTL = overtime or shootout loss). Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Over–under uses the consensus closing total.

Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.

No key players listed.

Injury report as of October 9, 12:40 p.m. ET: no key players listed for either team.

The pre-game matchup

The Penguins (2-2-0) visited the Blue Jackets (1-1-0) on Friday, October 9 at 7:10 PM ET.

Last season (2025-26), the Penguins scored 3.57 goals per game (3rd of 32) and allowed 3.27 (24th). The Blue Jackets scored 3.09 goals per game (16th of 32) and allowed 3.09 (16th). The Penguins earned 59.8% of available standings points (10th) and the Blue Jackets 56.1% (15th).

Expected-goals share (5-on-5), the share of 5-on-5 expected goals created: Penguins 51.7% (8th), Blue Jackets 51.4% (10th). Shot-attempt share (5-on-5), the share of all 5-on-5 shot attempts: Penguins 50.2% (13th), Blue Jackets 50.8% (11th). High-danger chance share, the share of 5-on-5 high-danger chances: Penguins 57.4% (3rd), Blue Jackets 50.3% (15th). These are last season's full-season numbers because the new season's sample is still small; rosters change over the offseason.

The total closed 6.5, unchanged from the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Penguins -105, Blue Jackets -118) prices the Penguins at 49% and the Blue Jackets at 51%.

Written from the numbers available before kickoff.

Result

Final score and result vs the closing line

Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 3

Columbus Blue Jackets won by 1.

  • Against the closing spread (Columbus Blue Jackets -1.5): Pittsburgh Penguins covered.
  • Combined score 5 vs the closing total of 6.5: Under.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets closed at -118 on the moneyline (a 51% no-vig market-implied chance).

Actual result

Final
Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Columbus Blue Jackets 3
Decided
In a shootout
Columbus Blue Jackets won
Lead changes
0

Before the game: market and G&W

49%Market at the close51%
Pittsburgh PenguinsColumbus Blue Jackets
47%Market at the open53%

From open to close the market moved 1 point toward Pittsburgh Penguins.

The G&W pregame win probability for this game is available to Analytics members. See plans

Market numbers are the consensus moneyline with the bookmaker margin removed.

Win probability

Each team's chance of winning through the game, starting from the market's closing price (Pittsburgh Penguins 49%, Columbus Blue Jackets 51%) and moving with every goal, penalty and the clock until the final.

100%75%50%75%100%1st2nd3rdOTMarket start11st 10:52: Columbus Blue Jackets 51% to 67%23rd 3:19: Pittsburgh Penguins 22% to 49%3OT 5:00: Columbus Blue Jackets 50% to 100%■ Blue Jackets■ Penguins
 

Biggest swings

  1. 1st 10:52 — Columbus Blue Jackets goal (0-1)Columbus Blue Jackets 51% → 67% (+16 pts)
  2. 3rd 3:19 — Pittsburgh Penguins goal (2-2)Pittsburgh Penguins 22% → 49% (+27 pts)
  3. OT 5:00 — Columbus Blue Jackets game-endColumbus Blue Jackets 50% → 100% (+50 pts)
Analytics members also see this chart starting from the G&W pregame win probability. See plans

Chance Quality Result

22%PIT
Share of G&W replays won
78%CBJ
2.1
Expected goals
4.2
2
Final score
3

Based on the quality of chances each team created, Columbus Blue Jackets won 78% of G&W replays (Pittsburgh Penguins 22%). The result went to the side that created the better chances.

The Chance Quality Result describes the chances each team created. It is not the official result and never changes it or any record. Expected goals count regulation chances with both goalies in net; empty-net goals are not included. Season xG tables count every game state, empty nets included, so their totals differ.

Game DNA

The Chance Quality Result above favoured Columbus Blue Jackets. Here is where that came from.

PenguinsGoalsBlue Jackets
2.15-on-5 chancesexpected goals
3.1
0.0Power-play chancesexpected goals
1.0
0.0Other situations4-on-4, 3-on-3, short-handed
0.1
2.1Chance Quality Result chancesthe three rows above, as in the result
4.2
0.8Overtime and pulled-goalie chancesnot part of the Chance Quality Result
0.5
0.4Second chancesrebounds and flurries, part of the above
1.0
-0.9Finishinggoals vs expected on own shots
-2.7
+2.7Goaltendingsaves vs expected · Sergei Murashov 43/45 · Cam Talbot 20/22
+0.9
Bar left: Penguins gainedBar right: Blue Jackets gained

How the margin was built, from Columbus Blue Jackets's side:

Chances +1.9Finishing & goaltending -1.9Shootout +1Columbus Blue Jackets by 1

The first three rows add up to the Chance Quality Result's expected goals. Overtime chances and chances with a goalie pulled are listed on their own, and empty-net goals are not in expected goals. A team's finishing and the other team's goaltending are the same goals seen from each end.

The official play, graded

The official play on this game, at the price it was sent, graded against the final score.

Jessica's HandicapPittsburgh Penguins ML +1062.00uLOSS -2.00u

Every official play is logged and graded, wins and losses alike. Full track record.

Line review

Columbus Blue Jackets closed as the market favourite at 51% and won.

The line moved toward Pittsburgh Penguins before puck drop, and they lost.

How the G&W pregame number compared with the close, and whether the line moved toward it, is available to Analytics members. See plans

Market

Closing line and line movement

Puck lineno move
OpenBlue Jackets -1.5 (+187)
Penguins +1.5 (-232)
CloseBlue Jackets -1.5 (+200)
Penguins +1.5 (-262)
Totalno move
Open6.5 (o -105 / u -118)
Close6.5 (o -130 / u +105)
Moneyline
OpenPenguins +103 47%
Blue Jackets -121 53%
ClosePenguins -105 49%
Blue Jackets -118 51%

Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.

Members

G&W Line

G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics

Projected score
Spread
Total
Win %

Matchup

Head-to-head

The teams have met 26 times since 2018-19: the Penguins won 18 and the Blue Jackets 8.

DateScoreLineTotal
Jan 17, 2026Blue Jackets 4, Penguins 3 SO
Blue Jackets won
Penguins -120
underdog won
6.5
over
Jan 4, 2026Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 4 OT
Penguins won
Blue Jackets -130
underdog won
6.5
over
Nov 28, 2025Penguins 4, Blue Jackets 3 OT
Penguins won
Blue Jackets -135
underdog won
6.5
over
Oct 25, 2025Blue Jackets 5, Penguins 4 SO
Blue Jackets won
Penguins -120
underdog won
6.5
over
Mar 21, 2025Blue Jackets 3, Penguins 6
Penguins won
Penguins -118
favorite won
6
over

Regular-season meetings since 2018-19, most recent first. Line = consensus closing moneyline favorite and total where line history is available.

Teams

Pittsburgh Penguins

Columbus Blue Jackets

Gridiron & Wine graded a pick on this game: see the archived pick.

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