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The Penguins answered every Columbus goal in regulation before Phil Kessel scored 1:06 into overtime to get the 5-4 victory in a tight game before an amped-up sellout crowd.

”We were resilient tonight,” Kessel said. ”We’ve been here before.”

Columbus entered the game needing one point in the standings and earned that when it forced the overtime. They’ll go to the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history.

”It’s a little bittersweet because it’s Pittsburgh, and you don’t want to lose to them,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. ”But in the big picture for our team, for our guys, I am really happy for them.”

The Penguins and Blue Jackets are second and third place, respectively, in the Metropolitan Division with playoff positioning not likely to be settled until this weekend.

Columbus is tied with New Jersey – which beat Toronto on Thursday – with 97 points, but the Blue Jackets hold the tiebreaker.

Conor Sheary tied the game at 12:16 in the third period to set up the overtime winner by Kessel, whose shot from the left circle was his second goal of the game and 33rd of the season.

Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang also scored, and Matt Murray had 26 saves for Pittsburgh, which completed a 4-0 season sweep of Columbus.

”We have such great leadership,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. ”These guys, they play their best when the stakes are high. They’ve proven it time and time again.”

Zach Werenski Kyle Long Jersey , Matt Calvert, Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson scored for Columbus, and Sergei Bobrovsky had 38 saves.

Werenski put the Blue Jackets up 1-0 five minutes into the game when he gathered a centering pass from Pierre Luc-Dubois and backhanded the puck between Murray and the near post. Kessel went top shelf over Bobrovsky on a power play to tie it at the halfway point of the first period.

A few minutes later, Calvert danced around Penguins defenseman Olli Maata and lifted a shot over Murray’s shoulder . Hornqvist knotted it again at 15:35 when he batted a bouncing puck past Bobrovsky’s glove.

The Blue Jackets scored on a power play in the second period when Jenner connected from the slot off a sweet centering pass from Thomas Vanek.

Early in the third period, Pittsburgh tied the score yet again when Letang clanged one in off the top bar from the right circle. Atkinson made it 4-3 when he poked a shot in from the doorstep 8:25 into the third.

Sheary tied the score again with a shot that Bobrovsky deflected with his glove.

”We showed a lot of character there, finding ways to hold on and get back into it,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said.

”They’re a team that really builds on leads, especially at home, so we did a good job of finding ways to get ourselves back in it and even it up pretty quick.”

NOTES: Pierre-Luc Dubois tied Zach Werenski’s rookie single-season point record with 47 and pushed his point streak to a career-high eight games. … Artemi Panarin, with assists on two of the goals, also has a five-game point streak. He has a franchise-record 82 points this season. … Hornqvist has four goals in the past four games. … Columbus defenseman Markus Nutivaara missed his second game with an upper-body injury. … Columbus F Josh Anderson returned after missing 17 games with a knee injury. … Pittsburgh F Derick Brassard missed his fourth game with a lower-body injury.

UP NEXT

Pittsburgh: Hosts Ottawa on Friday night to finish regular season.

Columbus: Ends regular season on Saturday night at Nashville.

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Jameis Winston's first order of business in training camp was apologizing to teammates.

Now, he's appealing for continued support from unhappy fans who think he no longer deserves to be the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I understand the disappointment. I'm disappointed," the fourth-year pro said Thursday, speaking publicly for the first time since the NFL suspended him three games for violating the league's personal conduct policy by groping a female Uber driver the winter after his rookie season.

"I should never have put myself in that situation Cheap Ryan Switzer Jersey ," Winston added. "All I can do is grow and learn from that."

That was the underlying theme of a 10-minute media session following the Bucs' first practice. He declined to discuss specifics about the March 2016 incident in Scottsdale, Arizona, repeatedly saying he's focused on being a good teammate and moving forward.

"That happened after my rookie year," Winston said. "I've made a lot of positive changes since then."

The 24-year-old, who's thrown for 11,636 yards and 69 touchdowns in three pro seasons, will miss what figures to be three of Tampa Bay's toughest games 鈥?at New Orleans on Sept. 9, followed by home dates against defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Veteran backup Ryan Fitzpatrick will take over in Winston's absence, with Ryan Griffin 鈥?a fifth-year pro who's yet to take a snap in a regular-season game 鈥?moving into the No. 2 role.

"It's disappointing that Jameis put himself in that position and put our team in that position," coach Dirk Koetter said. "But at this point, it's done and we have to deal with it."

Fitzpatrick, 2-1 in three starts last season as a replacement for an injured Winston, practiced with the regulars Thursday.

Griffin worked with the second-stringers, while Winston took snaps with the first http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dj-moore-jersey , second and third teams.

Koetter did not provide details about the incident that landed his starting quarterback in trouble. He also declined to talk about what Winston said to teammates on reporting day.

"I think everybody can appreciate that what's said in there should be between Jameis and the team," the coach said.

And while it won't be ideal opening the season without the No. 1 quarterback, Koetter expressed confidence that others will step up against the Saints, Eagles and Steelers, who are all defending division champions.

The Bucs, who haven't made the playoffs since 2007, are coming off a 5-11 finish.

"I think your team has a lot of leaders. Being a leader starts with being a leader of yourself. I talk to the guys about that often," Koetter said.

"I think that's one of Jameis' strengths as a football player ... But right now, where we're standing with the three-game suspension, it's time Jameis leads from the rear," the coach added. "And there's nothing wrong with that."

Winston, meanwhile, hopes fans will continue to support the Bucs as an organization, as well as him Youth Christian Kirk Jersey , personally.

Tampa Bay drafted him No. 1 overall despite questions about the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner's off-the-field behavior in college.

A fellow student at Florida State said Winston raped her, but the quarterback was never charged. The university settled a Title IX lawsuit over its handling of the allegations with Winston's accuser in January 2016 for $1.7 million.

Since joining the Bucs, Winston has started 45 of 48 games. He's also made an impact off the field through numerous charitable endeavors.

He reiterated he plans to remain active in the Tampa Bay community, adding he "can't let this diminish all the hard work that I've been doing."

"I've made a lot of positive strides since I've been here. I have to continue to grow as a man, as a person, as a leader, as a father. I know I can't put myself in situations like that," Winston said.

The quarterback offered one more reason it's imperative he correct his behavior around women 鈥?Winston's month-old son, born one day after the NFL announced the suspension.

"So seeing things from a different perspective, and learning that I'm going to have to teach that man how to live his day-to-day life," Winston said, "I really took it upon myself to be proactive and make sure I'm being a great example for him and my fiancee."