JACKETS BEAT PENGUINS IN SHOOTOUT

COLUMBUS – It certainly wasn’t a shootout, but it turned into one.

The Pittsburgh Penguins opened their preseason schedule at Nationwide Arena with a 3-2 road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The scored remained tied through regulation and overtime, so both teams got to participate in a new NHL feature – the shootout.

Three players from each team participate on an alternating basis with the visiting team up first. Ryan Malone and Rico Fata both missed for the Penguins (0-0-1), while Konstantin Koltsov converted. Nikolai Zherdev and Jaroslav Balastik converted for Columbus, while Marc-Andre Fleury denied David Vyborny.

Malone got the Penguins on the scoreboard 3:02 into the game. He slammed in the rebound from Ric Jackman’s shot past Marc Denis on the power play. Michel Ouellet assisted on the goal.

Ouellet beat Denis on a backhander for a 2-0 lead with 11:22 left in the first period. Lyle Odelein picked up the assist.

Manny Malhotra got the Blue Jackets on the scoreboard when he beat Fleury for a power-play goal nearly three minutes later.

Todd Marchant evened the score at 2-all for Columbus when he scored on a rebound 15:09 into the second period.

Neither team scored in the third period or overtime.

The Penguins are off on Tuesday as they travel to Wilkes-Barre. They resume training camp Wednesday morning.