3 most impressive Pittsburgh Penguins from 6-3 win over Columbus Blue Jackets feat. Sidney Crosby

The Pittsburgh Penguins have started to defy the odds in recent weeks, racing back into the thick of the tightly-contested Eastern Conference playoff chase after having essentially been left for dead in February.

They found themselves matched up against their divisional foe Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night in Pittsburgh, another club hoping to make a return to the postseason by claiming one of the final Wild Card spots.

Ultimately, it was the Penguins moving ever so closer to their goal with a 6-3 win at PPG Paints Arena and improving their record to 29-32-10. The damaging loss for the Blue Jackets set them back to 31-29-9.

The opening 20 minutes of play was an offensive barrage, with four goals being scored; three by Pittsburgh. The Penguins took a 2-0 lead, thanks to tallies from Evgeni Malkin and Noel Acciari. After the Blue Jackets cut the lead in half with captain Boone Jenner's first goal of the season, Pittsburgh restored the two-goal lead with a tally from Rickard Rakell.

The Blue Jackets once again made things close in the second period, cutting the lead to one after Justin Danforth scored. But once again, the Penguins had the quick answer.

Pittsburgh's Bokondji Imama scored his first NHL goal to restore the two-goal lead, followed by Sidney Crosby's 25th goal of the season.

While Kent Johnson brought Columbus closer with an early third period goal, the victory was sealed by Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust with an empty net goal late in regulation.

3 most impressive Pittsburgh Penguins from 6-3 win over Columbus Blue Jackets

#1. Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby continues to prove that age is just a number. Even at 37, Crosby looks every bit as much like the Hall of Fame player that took the NHL by storm at the young age of 18 back in 2005.

He scored a goal with an assist for the Penguins on Friday, and finished tied for a team-high +3 rating.

#2. Rickard Rakell

A player that the Penguins decided to hold on to at the Trade Deadline despite multiple trade rumors, Rakell came through in the clutch for them and helped them stay mathematically alive in the race.

He scored a goal with an assist, and also finished with a +3 rating.

#3. Bryan Rust

Another Penguins forward who found himself to be the subject of multiple trade rumors, Rust remains with the Penguins and is making the most of what's left in the season.

Like Rakell, he contributed a goal with an assist along with a +3 rating; he also had a team-high five shots on goal.