Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Picks and Prediction for Friday October 9, 2026
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be on the road Friday night for a Metropolitan Division matchup in Columbus, Ohio, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM inside Nationwide Arena. Pittsburgh comes into Friday with a 2-2 record after dropping its last two games, including a 5-3 loss against Washington on Wednesday night. The Penguins will look to get back in the win column after opening the season with consecutive victories. Columbus will welcome the home crowd Friday night with a 1-1 record following a 4-1 loss against Utah last time out. The Blue Jackets will look to bounce back and pick up their second win of the young season against a familiar division opponent. Columbus is listed as the betting favorite, with the total set at 6.5 goals. Stay in the loop with our NHL Picks.
Penguins look to end skid
The Pittsburgh Penguins offense has been phenomenal this season, averaging 4.5 goals on 32.5 shots per game. Defensively, Pittsburgh has had their biggest issue, allowing 3.25 goals per game on 26.3 shots, and they have allowed 8 total goals across their current 2 game losing streak. Tommy Novak is leading the Pittsburgh offense this season with five points, and he has posted a team-leading three goals. Evgeni Malkin, Ben Kindel, Declan Carlile, and Kaedan Korczak are all tied for second on the roster with four points apiece. Erik Karlsson has also added four points this season along with a team-leading 4 assists.
Tommy Novak, Nick Robertson, and Bryan Rust led the show for the Pittsburgh offense in their last outing, scoring one goal each. Pittsburgh got more scoring as four other players added at least one assist apiece. Goalie Arturs Silovs struggled against Washington, allowing five goals on 27 shots in just over 56 minutes of action.
Key Injury Report for Pittsburgh:
- Andrei Kuzmenko (IR-NR) - Oct 10
- Justin Brazeau (IR) - Oct 10
- Ryan Graves (IR) - Oct 24
Columbus tries to bounce back at home
The Columbus offense has been mediocre this season, averaging 3.5 goals on 21 shots per game. Defensively, Columbus has replicated their offense, allowing 3.5 goals on 28.5 shots per game, though they gave up four goals last time out. Matthew Knies is leading Columbus this season with four points and two goals. Charlie Coyle is 2nd on the roster this year with three points, along with a team-leading 3 assists.
Kent Johnson provided the only spark for the Columbus offense in their last outing with one goal on five shots in just over 17 minutes of action. Matthew Knies chipped in as well with one assist in the game. Goalie Jet Greaves was terrible, giving up four goals on 31 shots to post an .871 save percentage in 60 minutes.
Key Injury Report for Columbus:
- None
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Picks and Prediction
Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (-122)
Columbus should be in a good position Friday night when Pittsburgh comes to town. The Blue Jackets have a young group of players capable of creating scoring chances, and their speed could cause problems for the Penguins throughout the game. Pittsburgh still has experienced players who can produce offensively, but the Penguins will have to limit mistakes and avoid giving Columbus too many opportunities around the net. The Blue Jackets should benefit from playing at home, especially if they can establish pressure early and force Pittsburgh to spend more time defending. Columbus has enough talent to compete with the Penguins and should be able to find a way to come away with the victory.
Pick: Over 6.5 (-105)
There should be opportunities for goals when Pittsburgh and Columbus meet Friday night. Both teams have players capable of scoring, and neither defense will want to give up too many chances around the net. Pittsburgh can still generate offense through its veteran players, while Columbus has enough young talent to create problems with its speed. Special teams could make a difference in this matchup, especially if either side takes unnecessary penalties. A couple of power-play goals could quickly push the scoring higher, and both teams should have chances to find the back of the net. Expect an entertaining game with enough offense to finish above the total.