Tomas Galvas and the Ruck brothers stood out as the Penguins opened the 2026 Prospect Tournament with a 2-1 shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday in Detroit.
Brayden Edwards scored in regulation before shootout goals from Tomas Galvas and Pierce Mbuyi and a shootout save from Carter Casey sealed the win.
The Penguins started out the game with Bill Zonnon centering a first line flanked by Tanner Howe and Mikhail Ilyin, while the Penguins paired Markus and Liam Ruck with fellow North
Dakota commit Carter Sanderson.
Galvas skated on a first pairing alongside Finn Harding, while Casey got the nod in net for his Prospect Tournament debut.
Here’s a look at how Saturday’s game action played out in Columbus.
First period
The Penguins spent a good chunk of the first period in the offensive zone.
The biggest difference-maker in the game’s opening minutes was Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Evan Gardner, who turned aside multiple point-blank Penguins scoring opportunities.
Some of those chances came from the second line, which was led by Liam and Markus Ruck and often quarterbacked by Tomas Galvas.
A top Penguins power play of the Ruck brothers and Galvas alongside Zonnon and Ilyin was unable to score on its first opportunity.
Pittsburgh finally broke through after drawing a second power play late in the period. Brayden Edwards followed up on his own rebound to get his team’s first goal past Gardner.
The Penguins went into the break leading 1-0 on the scoreboard and 17-4 in shots.
Second period
Casey, who wasn’t tested much in the first period, made his first big save early in the second frame.
The Ruck brothers were once more buzzing as they combined for multiple scoring chances early in the second.
The Blue Jackets started putting more pressure on the Penguins late in the period.
Mbuyi got a breakaway opportunity late in the frame, but put his shot into Gardner’s crest as the Penguins closed out the frame still holding on to a one-goal lead.
Third period
Gardner turned aside an early odd-man rush from the Penguins before the tide turned the Blue Jackets’ way.
Columbus’ Jack Williams beat Casey to tie the game at 1-1 four minutes into the third frame.
The Penguins got two power plays late in the third but were unable to convert on either.
Casey and Galvas combined to turn aside a dangerous deflection in the final seconds of regulation to help send the game to overtime.
The Penguins outshot the Blue Jackets 19-6 in the third period and 47-19 through regulation.
Extra time
A three-man unit of the Ruck brothers and Galvas earned multiple overtime scoring opportunities but couldn’t beat Edwards.
Casey stopped a Blue Jackets breakaway in the final minute of extra time to send the game to a shootout.
Galvas and Mbuyi scored in the five-round shootout before Casey made a final save to close out the win.
The prospect tournament continues Sunday with a 7 p.m. ET game against the Detroit Red Wings. All tournament games are being streamed on the Penguins website.
