COLUMBUS (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Penguins will visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday in a National Hockey League game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Pittsburgh enters at 2-2. Columbus is 1-1. The Penguins are coming off a 5-3 loss at Washington. Thomas Novak scored one goal, recorded three shots on goal and delivered two hits. Nicholas Robertson also scored, posting one shot on goal and two penalty minutes. Bryan Rust added a goal, three shots on goal and two hits.

Columbus most recently fell 4-1 to Utah at home. Kent Johnson scored, had five shots on goal and one hit. Adam Fantilli recorded one shot on goal and two hits. Matthew Knies contributed one assist, one shot on goal and one hit.

Novak, a player to watch for Pittsburgh, has been productive. At Washington, he had one goal, three shots on goal and two hits. Against Winnipeg, he recorded two shots on goal. Against Montreal, he totaled two goals, one assist, three shots on goal and one hit. At Philadelphia, he had one assist and one hit. Over those four games, he has three goals and two assists.

Johnson, a player to watch for Columbus, has a goal and an assist over his past two games. Against Utah, he scored, put five shots on goal and added one hit. Against Buffalo, he had one assist, one shot on goal and two penalty minutes.

Novak has recorded at least one point in three of his past four games. Johnson has recorded at least one point in each of his past two games. Pittsburgh’s players to watch include Novak, Robertson and Rust, while Columbus’s players to watch include Johnson, Fantilli and Knies.

Pittsburgh’s other results this season include a 3-2 home loss to Winnipeg, a 6-5 overtime home win over Montreal and a 7-0 road win at Philadelphia. Columbus’s other result was a 6-3 home win over Buffalo. The Penguins and Blue Jackets will meet in a matchup featuring teams looking to build early-season momentum. The Penguins and Blue Jackets are Metropolitan Division rivals. Pittsburgh has played four games this season, and Columbus has played two.

Pittsburgh’s next 10 games include a home matchup with Dallas, road games at Chicago, Colorado, Vegas, Utah and Montreal, and home dates with Florida, Nashville, Utah and Vegas. Columbus’s upcoming slate features a trip to St. Louis, home games against Florida, the New York Rangers, Toronto, Vegas and Colorado, and road games at Minnesota, Philadelphia, Carolina and Dallas.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Pittsburgh 3, Columbus 2.