Schedule and 2013-14 Results
Regular Season Records: Pittsburgh 51-24-7=109pts, Columbus 43-32-7=93pts
Game 1 on Wednesday, 16 April: Columbus loses at Pittsburgh, 4-goals-3
Game 2 on Saturday, 19 April: Columbus wins at Pittsburgh, 4-goals-3 (2OT)
Game 3 on Monday, 21 April: Pittsburgh wins at Columbus, 4-goals-3
Game 4 on Wednesday, 23 April: Pittsburgh loses at Columbus, 4-goals-3 (OT)
Game 5 on Saturday, 26 April: Columbus loses at Pittsburgh, 3-goals-1
Game 6 on Monday, 28 April: Pittsburgh wins at Columbus, 4-goals-3

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Pittsburgh Penguins visited and bested the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-goals-3 to win best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1223, 4-games-2. With the series 1223 victory, the Pittsburgh Penguins improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 29-20 overall and 14-6 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1223 loss, the Columbus Blue Jackets see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Pittsburgh Penguins in series 1223 was WLWLWW: Series 1223 thus becomes the ninth NHL Preliminary-round series, the 16th NHL series (all rounds), and the 41st MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion.

After Game 5: The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted and defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-goals-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1223 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 9-6 and a Game 6 record of 8-7. The Columbus Blue Jackets are trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2 for the first time.

After Game 4: The Columbus Blue Jackets hosted and topped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-goals-3 in overtime to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1223 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 11-8 and a Game 5 record of 11-8, while the Columbus Blue Jackets are tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the first time. Columbus trailed at home by three goals as late as 16:38 into the first period, by two goals as late as 14:19 into the second period, and by one as late as 19:35 into the third period. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2013, inclusive, home teams down three goals 16:38 into the first period had a 2-44 (.043) game record, home teams down two goals 14:19 into the second period had a 36-299 (.107) game record, and home teams down a goal 19:35 into the third period had a 8-397 (.020) game record. All four games thus far in series 1223 have ended in a 4-goals-3 score, thus making series 1223 the fourth best-of-7 NHL playoff series in which the first four games all ended in the same score. In series 634, in the 1993 NHL Quarterfinals, the Montreal Canadiens swept the Buffalo Sabres 4-games-nil via four 4-goals-3 scores (en route to the 1993 NHL championship). Overall, ten of 28 best-of-7 NHL playoff games through 23 April 2014 have ended in a 4-goals-3 score - no other final score has accounted for any more than four best-of-7 NHL playoff game endings in 2014. The 4-goals-3 score has been the final score of 35.7% of the 2014 NHL playoff games to date - the largest such percentage in an NHL playoff season since 1951, in which six of 16 best-of-7 NHL playoff games (37.5%) ended 3-goals-2.

After Game 3: The Pittsburgh Penguins visited and defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-goals-3 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1223 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 10-6 and a Game 4 record of 6-10. The Columbus Blue Jackets are trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1 for the first time in their existence. Pittsburgh trailed series 1223 Game 3 by two goals on the road as late as 5:52 into the third period – in the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2013, inclusive, road teams trailing by two goals as late as 5:52 into the third period had a game record of only 13-423 (.030). Series 1223 becomes the fourth best-of-7 format NHL playoff series in which each of the first three games ended in a 4-goals-3 score (the others: series 587 [Los Angeles Kings vs Edmonton Oilers, 1991 NHL Quarterfinals]; series 634 [Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres, 1993 NHL Quarterfinals]; series 1099 [San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Red Wings, 2010 NHL Quarterfinals]).

After Game 2: The Columbus Blue Jackets visited and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-goals-3 in the second overtime period to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1223 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 10-11 and a Game 3 record of 12-9 (with an active four-Game 3 winning streak), while the Columbus Blue Jackets are tied 1-game-all for the first time in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series. An in-game comeback of above-average quality characterized the first best-of-7 NHL playoff game victory ever by Columbus, which trailed the Penguins in Pittsburgh by two goals as late as 7:30 into the second period. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2013, inclusive, road teams down two goals as late as 7:30 into the second period had a game record of 43-261 (.141). As of Saturday 19 April, the NBA Charlotte Bobcats are the only current MLB/NBA/NHL team to have taken part in best-of-7 format playoff series with no game victories to show for the effort. Charlotte plays the defending NBA champion Miami Heat in series 1237, in the 2014 NBA Preliminary round.

After Game 1: The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted and bested the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-goals-3 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1223 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 16-7 and a Game 2 record of 15-8. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Columbus Blue Jackets have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 2 record of 0-1. With series 1223 Game 1, the overall best-of-7 NHL playoff game record of the Columbus Blue Jackets falls to an MLB/NBA/NHL-worst 0-5 (the former NHL Atlanta Flames, the former NHL Atlanta Thrashers, and the current NBA Charlotte Bobcats are 0-4 each). Pittsburgh trailed series 1223 Game 1 by two goals as late as 1:33 into the second period. In the history of best-of-7 format NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2013, inclusive, home teams trailing by two goals as late as 1:33 into the second period had a game record of only 43-223 (.162).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2013-14 NHL regular season, Pittsburgh finished 16 points ahead of Columbus. From 1939 through the 2013 NHL Finals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 16 regular-season points, they have posted a 10-2 (.833) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1223 is the second best-of-7 playoff series for Columbus, and the 49th for Pittsburgh. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, Columbus has a 0-1 series record, a 0-1 Preliminary-round series record, and a 0-1 Game 1 record, while Pittsburgh has a 28-20 series record, a 13-6 Preliminary-round series record, and a 23-25 Game 1 record. Series 1223 is the first best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between Columbus and Pittsburgh.