COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Columbus Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky said he knows only one way to play against Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby.

"There's no secret: I try to play him as hard as I can," Dubinsky said. "That being said, I don't try to do anything dirty."

Dubinsky may have straddled the line last night, but he led the way in a highly physical clash between the two Metropolitan Division rivals.

Right winger Cam Atkinson's goal at 2:42 of overtime, created by Dubinsky's puck possession at 3-on-3 play, led the Blue Jackets to a 2-1 win before a sold out crowd of 18,205 in Nationwide Arena.

"It's a game we deserved to win," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said.

Center Ryan Johansen also scored for the Blue Jackets, while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 25 saves.

The Blue Jackets have won six of their last eight games.

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored his club's only goal midway through the third period, but the Penguins couldn't hold the tenuous lead.

Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 40 saves, and was particularly strong early when the Blue Jackets were roaring.

It was easy to forget this is still November, that last night's game was only a regular-season matchup. At times, the temperature in Nationwide kindled memories of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoff series between the two clubs.

"I watched that playoff series (in 2014), and it looked like a legit rivalry," Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. "They're all intense battles between these teams.

"It's nice to see the passion in the game. That's the way it's going to be played."

At 18:40 of the second, Dubinsky and Penguins star center Sidney Crosby were battling for position in front of Bobrovsky, when it turned ugly.

Dubinsky crosschecked Crosby in the neck, sending him to the ice. Then, with Crosby still in a pile beneath him, Dubinsky slammed his stick into Crosby's limp body one more time.

"I felt like my stick ride up his back a little bit," Dubinsky said. "He's kind of bent over there in front. But again, that's not the type of player I am. I'm going to play hard, but try and play fair and play in between the whistle.

"It wasn't malicious or vicious or too hard in my opinion."

Crosby went to the dressing room after the incident, but was out to start the third period.

Dubinsky has had several clashes with Crosby through the years, including last season in Pittsburgh when they fought.

The NHL announced late last night that Dubinsky would get a hearing with the league on Saturday before the Blue Jackets play the St. Louis Blues.

"I'm not surprised, if that's what you're asking," Crosby said. "I'm probably not surprised that if I was going to get one of those shots that it would be from (Dubinsky)."

The Penguins took a 1-0 lead at 9:15 of the third period on the power play. Malkin, who played in a fit of rage most of the night, scored off a rebound through a pile of bodies in front of Bobrovsky.

The Blue Jackets returned the favor a few minutes later when they were on the power play.

Johansen gathered the puck and fired from a tight angle, the puck caroming off Fleury's left skate and into the net at 11:57 of the third.

The Blue Jackets hadn't played in overtime yet this season, the last NHL club to experience the new 3-on-3 format.

They handled it well.

Atkinson scored after a brilliant play by Dubinsky, who carried the puck in and around the Penguins zone and caused the Pittsburgh defense to collapse.

He then passed the puck to Atkinson in the left circle for the game-winner.

NOTES: Blue Jackets D Dalton Prout was a healthy scratch, one game after he benched by coach John Tortorella for the third period and a half against New Jersey for taking too many penalties. D Justin Falk, recalled from AHL Lake Erie on Tuesday, took his spot in the lineup. ... Penguins coach Mike Johnston said D Olli Maatta is still at least a week from playing because of an upper-body injury caused when he was slammed into an open gate on the bench during play. ... The Blue Jackets recalled LW Markus Hannikainen from minor league Lake Erie. He was a healthy scratch against Pittsburgh but could make his NHL debut on Saturday in St. Louis.