Bryan Rust Pots Hat Trick, First Line Dominates In Penguins Win

When the first line is going as well as they were Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to be a tough team to beat.

Pittsburgh steamrolled through the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, winning by a one-sided score of 9-2 with a big thank you to the six unanswered goals that the Penguins scored in the third period.

The main offensive artillery came from the Penguins’ top line. It was Bryan Rust who led the way, as he potted a hat trick for the Pens with two goals in the second period and a goal in the third. He wasn’t alone in scoring goals on the first line, as Rickard Rakell added two of his own. Sidney Crosby didn’t find the back of the net, but he did dish out three assists. Overall, Rust and Rakell had four-point games with Crosby doing his part with the three helpers.

After the game, Rust stated why it was such a good night for the Penguins offense.

“I think we were on our toes,” Rust said, per Penguins team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. “Even though we had the lead, we weren’t sitting back… we just kind of went at ‘em, and we were able to get that fourth one, and our PP had a huge goal – which I think hurt them a lot. We kept going from there.”

Rust is now second on the team in goals with 12 after the hat trick, only trailing Rakell and his 13 goals on the season.

They’ll look to keep things going offenisvely for the Penguins on Saturday when they face the Ottawa Senators.

More NHL: Penguins Score Six Third-Period Goals In Win Over Canadiens