Our Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets preview covers the odds, puck line, total, start time, TV channel and where to watch on Friday, October 9, 2026. The Pittsburgh Penguins (2-2-0 this season; 41-25-16 in 2025-26) visit the Columbus Blue Jackets (1-1-0 this season; 40-30-12 in 2025-26) at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local). TV: CBJNHL / CBJHN / SN-PIT / Sportsnet+ / TVA Sports.
Storyline: Pittsburgh has lost two straight, 3-2 to Winnipeg and 5-3 at Washington on Wednesday, after opening with a 7-0 win at Philadelphia and a 6-5 overtime win over Montreal. Columbus is 1-1-0 and has not played since a 4-1 home loss to Utah on Oct. 3. Cam Talbot is listed by ESPN as the confirmed starter for his Blue Jackets debut, and Sergei Murashov gets his second start for Pittsburgh. All four meetings last season went past regulation, and each team won two (NHL.com). DraftKings lists Columbus at -118 and Pittsburgh at -102 on the moneyline, with the total at 6.5.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Odds, Puck Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Pittsburgh Penguins @ Columbus Blue Jackets |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 Records | Pittsburgh Penguins 2-2-0 | Columbus Blue Jackets 1-1-0 |
| 2025-26 Records | Pittsburgh Penguins 41-25-16 | Columbus Blue Jackets 40-30-12 |
| Head Coaches | PIT: Dan Muse (2nd season) | CBJ: Rick Bowness (took over Jan. 12, 2026) |
| Puck Line | PIT +1.5 (-250) | CBJ -1.5 (+205) |
| Moneyline | Pittsburgh Penguins: -102 | Columbus Blue Jackets: -118 |
| Total | O/U 6.5 (o-115 / u-105) |
| Venue | Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio) |
| Date / Time | Friday, October 9, 2026 — 7:00 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | CBJNHL / CBJHN / SN-PIT / Sportsnet+ / TVA Sports |
| Probable Starting Goalies | PIT: Sergei Murashov (confirmed, per ESPN) | CBJ: Cam Talbot (confirmed, per ESPN) |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, ~1:48 PM ET. Other books listed the same total at research time. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. ESPN lists Sergei Murashov and Cam Talbot as the confirmed starters at research time.
Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: Trying to Stop a Two-Game Skid
2025-26 recap: Pittsburgh went 41-25-16 (98 points), finished second in the Metropolitan Division and made the playoffs for the first time since 2022 before losing to Philadelphia in six games in the first round. The Penguins scored 3.54 goals per game, third in the NHL (NHL.com). Captain Sidney Crosby led the team with 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) in 68 games, and Dan Muse was a Jack Adams Award finalist in his first season.
Offseason moves: Evgeni Malkin signed a one-year contract to return for a 21st season. Pittsburgh signed forward Andrei Kuzmenko and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, acquired forward Nick Robertson from Toronto and acquired defenseman Kaedan Korczak from Vegas. Anthony Mantha (33 goals) signed with New Jersey, and Stuart Skinner signed with Winnipeg (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Crosby, Malkin, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak, Ben Kindel and Robertson lead the forwards. Erik Karlsson (66 points last season), Kris Letang, Samuel Girard, Declan Carlile and Korczak are on defense. Muse is in his second season as coach.
Goalies: Sergei Murashov made 32 saves on 35 shots in his only start, a 3-2 loss to Winnipeg on Monday. Arturs Silovs is 2-1-0 with an .859 save percentage in three starts, including a 19-save shutout at Philadelphia and 22 saves on 27 shots at Washington. ESPN lists Murashov as the confirmed starter.
Season so far: Robertson scored twice in the 7-0 win at Philadelphia. Against Montreal, Pittsburgh led 5-1 before Montreal scored four times in the third, and Novak won it 1:33 into overtime. Rust scored 1:19 into his season debut at Washington on Wednesday, and Novak and Robertson also scored in a 5-3 loss. Novak leads the team with five points (three goals, two assists) (NHL.com).
Injuries: Kuzmenko (personal) is on the injured non-roster list. Forward Justin Brazeau (lower body) and defenseman Ryan Graves (knee) are on injured reserve (ESPN).
Columbus Blue Jackets Preview: Talbot Makes His Debut
2025-26 recap: Columbus went 40-30-12 (92 points), finished fifth in the Metropolitan and missed the playoffs after losing nine of its last 11 games. The Blue Jackets went 19-4-4 in their first 27 games after Rick Bowness took over on Jan. 12 (NHL.com). Zach Werenski led the team with 81 points (22 goals, 59 assists).
Offseason moves: Former captain Boone Jenner signed with Washington. Columbus acquired forward Valeri Nichushkin from Colorado, signed Ryan Lomberg, and signed Adam Fantilli to a six-year, $82.5 million contract on Sept. 24. On Sept. 28, the Blue Jackets traded Kirill Marchenko (team-high 27 goals) and others to Toronto for Matthew Knies, defenseman Emil Andrae and more. Talbot and defenseman Carson Soucy signed one-year deals (NHL.com, BlueJackets.com).
Key players & coach: Werenski, Fantilli, Charlie Coyle, Knies, Nichushkin, Sean Monahan, Kent Johnson and Denton Mateychuk are central to the lineup, with Ivan Provorov and Soucy also on defense.
Goalies: Cam Talbot went 12-9-6 with a 3.19 GAA and .883 save percentage in 34 games for Detroit last season and has not played yet for Columbus. Jet Greaves started both games and is 1-1-0 with an .877 save percentage; he went 26-19-9 with a 2.60 GAA last season. ESPN lists Talbot as the confirmed starter.
Season so far: Columbus beat Buffalo 6-3 on Oct. 1 as Knies had two goals and an assist in his debut and Coyle had three assists. On Oct. 3, Utah scored three power-play goals in a 4-1 win, and Johnson scored the only Columbus goal. Knies leads the team with four points (NHL.com).
Injuries: ESPN’s injury report listed no Columbus players at research time.
Key Matchup Notes: Penguins vs Blue Jackets
- Schedule spot: Pittsburgh last played Wednesday. Columbus has been off since Oct. 3. Both teams play again Saturday, Pittsburgh at home against Dallas and Columbus at St. Louis.
- Last season: Columbus won 5-4 in a shootout at Pittsburgh on Oct. 25, 2025, and 4-3 in a shootout there on Jan. 17. Pittsburgh won 4-3 in overtime at Columbus on Nov. 28 and 5-4 in overtime there on Jan. 4 (NHL.com).
- Special teams: Columbus is converting 40 percent of its power plays but has killed 66.7 percent of penalties. Pittsburgh is converting 30.8 percent and has killed 90 percent.
- Scoring: Pittsburgh has 18 goals in four games and has allowed 13. Columbus has seven goals in two games and has allowed seven.
- Faceoffs: Columbus has won 55.9 percent of its faceoffs, third in the NHL. Pittsburgh has won 44.7 percent, 30th (NHL.com).
- Odds snapshot: Columbus -118 / Pittsburgh -102 on the moneyline, Blue Jackets -1.5 (+205) on the puck line, total 6.5 (DraftKings).
How to Watch Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
Puck drop: 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local)
Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
TV: In the U.S., CBJNHL and CBJHN carry the game in the Blue Jackets’ market and SportsNet Pittsburgh (SN-PIT) in the Penguins’ market (NHL.com), and ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming. In Canada, Sportsnet+ and TVA Sports (French) carry it nationally (NHL.com). No U.S. national TV broadcast is listed at research time.
Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 9, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.