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Penguins beat Blue Jackets 5-4 in OT to take 3-0 series lead

Pittsburgh Penguins' Jake Guentzel, center, celebrates his game-winning goal with teammates Olli Maatta, left to right, of Finland, Sidney Crosby, Conor Sheary, and Trevor Daley against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first overtime period in Game 3 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series, Sunday, April 16, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. The Penguins defeated the Blue Jackets 5-4. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) Pittsburgh Penguins' Jake Guentzel, center, celebrates his game-winning goal with teammates Olli Maatta, left to right, of Finland, Sidney Crosby, Conor Sheary, and Trevor Daley against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first overtime period in Game 3 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series, Sunday, April 16, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. The Penguins defeated the Blue Jackets 5-4. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

By Associated Press April 16, 2017 1 min read

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Jake Guentzel had a hat trick, including a goal at 13:10 of overtime, to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night and give them a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Bryan Rust added two goals for Pittsburgh, and Marc-Andre Fleury overcame a shaky first period to make 33 saves. Guentzel is the first Pittsburgh to rookie to get a playoff hat trick.

The defending champion Penguins will go for the sweep in Columbus on Tuesday night.

After only scoring two goals combined in the first two games of the series, Columbus scored three goals in just over six minutes of the first period.

But the Penguins regained their composure and pushed back hard during the second period to tie the score at 3-3.