Sidney Crosby continued his excellent start to the season, picking up a goal and two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 at Nationwide Arena.

Danton Heinen scored twice and Tristan Jarry made 29 saves as the Penguins remain unbeaten in regulation this season.

"In the first, we just got outworked and didn't execute all the way through", Crosby said. "[Jarry] made some big saves. It could have been a bigger deficit than it was. He gave us a chance to get back into it in the second."

Kent Johnson scored his first NHL goal and Elvis Merzlikins made 33 saves for Columbus (2-4-0), who led by two goals in the first and second periods.

"It's tough to get wins in this league, and you're going to have to be up for a full 60 [minutes]", Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner said. "Our start was good. We didn't have the same energy in the second and third, so they're going to make you pay."

Penguins extend winning streak over Blue Jackets with come-from-behind victory

Jenner put Columbus in front just over seven minutes into the game, scoring when a clearing attempt by Kris Letang deflected to him off of the shin of Johnny Gaudreau.

Jack Roslovic made it 2-0 with 1:16 left in the first period, picking up a wayward pass by Letang in the neutral zone and scoring shorthanded on a breakaway.

Roslovic scored his first shorthanded goal in 315 career NHL games.

"We got totally outplayed in the first period, obviously, when I say that", Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I give our players a lot of credit. I thought we responded after that."

Josh Archibald brought Pittsburgh to within a goal in the second from the left circle on a rush.

"He brings a ton of energy", Sullivan said. "That's the game he brings to our team, and when he does that, I think his energy is contagious. I thought he did a terrific job with his physical play. His energy was a big part of us getting into the hockey game."

Johnson responded 14 seconds later, taking a pass from Roslovic skating in front, avoiding a poke-check from Jarry and scoring on the backhand.

It was Johnson's first NHL goal in his 14th game.

"Really exciting in the moment. It was a big goal", he said. "Too bad it wasn't a win, but i'll take it."

Jan Rutta again cut it to a one-goal lead just a little more than halfway through the second period on a one-timer and Heinen tied it after the puck popped out to him during a scramble.

"He's a guy who knows how to find the back of the net", Crosby said of Heinen. "He has a great shot, but he goes to the tough areas, too. We got a couple of goals doing that. As a group, we did that way better in the second and third periods."

With 14:22 to play, Crosby gave the Penguins their first lead of the game, one-timing a pass from Brian Dumoulin from just inside the right face-off circle.

Heinen made it 5-3 before Brock McGinn capped the scoring for Pittsburgh's sixth consecutive win over Columbus.

"We let some things distract us tonight in some areas later in the game", Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. "There's a sour taste right now because of some things."