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Penguins erupt for 9 goals in road victory over Montreal Canadiens | TribLIVE.com
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Penguins/NHL

Penguins erupt for 9 goals in road victory over Montreal Canadiens

Seth Rorabaugh
Seth Rorabaugh
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The Penguins’ Rickard Rakell (right) celebrates after his goal against the Canadiens with teammates Sidney Crosby, Matt Grzelcyk (left) and Kris Letang during the first period Thursday. Rakell had two goals and two assists.
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Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry makes a glove save in front of Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher during the first period Thursday.
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Montreal’s Nick Suzuki (top) collides with Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry after scoring in the first period Thursday.
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Montreal’s Kirby Dach is checked into the bench by the Penguins’ Noel Acciari during the second period Thursday.
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The Penguins’ Bryan Rust (left) celebrates after his goal against the Canadiens with teammate Rickard Rakell during the second period Thursday.
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Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry makes a save against Montreal’s Patrik Laine during the second period Thursday.

As a team with many limitations, the Pittsburgh Penguins need to get offense from just about every component of the roster.

On Thursday, seemingly every molecule of their lineup contributed offense as the Penguins erupted offensively, bombarding the Montreal Canadiens, 9-2, at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

It was the most goals the Penguins had scored since a 10-2 road win against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 4, 2023 and allowed the Penguins to sweep their regular season series with the Canadiens (3-0-0).

It was also the Penguins’ largest margin of victory ever against the Canadiens. Their previous high-water mark was a 6-0 road win, Nov. 18, 2021.

Forward Bryan Rust led the way with the Penguins’ first hat trick of the season.

“Definitely one I’m going to remember,” Rust said to reporters in Montreal via audio provided by the team’s media relations staff. “Some nights, it feels good. Some nights, pucks just find you and that’s how it goes.”

The Canadiens struck on their first shot of the contest when forward Nick Suzuki scored his 11th goal of the season.

From the left point of Montreal’s zone, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang forced a pass attempt to the opposite point intended for defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. Canadiens forward Cole Caufield recognized the telegraphed sequence and jabbed the puck away from Grzelcyk to the neutral zone, creating a two-on-one rush with Suzuki against Letang.

As Caufield entered the Penguins’ zone on the left wing, Letang raced to him to apply pressure. That created space for Suzuki, who took a pass from Caufield and then attacked the net from the right hashmarks. Upon approach, Suzuki went forehand to backhand, deking goaltender Tristan Jarry out of position and tucked a backhander into a mostly vacant cage. Caufield had the only assist.

After that, it was (almost) all Penguins.

Forward Rickard Rakell tied the game with his 12th goal during a power-play opportunity at 4:18 of the first period.

Taking a pass in Montreal’s left corner, Letang identified a seam to the far side of the crease and slipped a pass between ex-Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson’s right skate and the blue paint for Rakell, who tapped in a forehand shot by goaltender Samuel Montembeault’s left skate. Letang and Grzelcyk generated assists.

Rust’s 10th goal supplied the Penguins with their first lead of the contest 10:03 into the second period.

After Rust hassled Matheson into a turnover at the Penguins’ right point, Crosby took possession of the puck and carried it into the neutral zone before offloading it to Rust at the center red line. Sauntering his way into Montreal’s zone on the left wing, Rust hesitated for a moment on the near half-wall. As Matheson attempted to apply pressure, Rust swooped around him, darted across the front of the crease and put a forehand shot by Montembeault’s left skate. Crosby claimed the only assist.

Another goal by Rust put the visitors up 3-1 at 13:27 of the second period.

Off a faceoff win by Canadiens forward Christian Dvorak in Montreal’s right circle, Matheson tried to bank the puck off the near boards but had it intercepted by Crosby, who dished the puck to the right hashmarks for Rakell. Surrounded by Matheson and Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher, Rakell fed a blind backhand pass below the right circle for Rust, who one-touched a forehand shot from a bad angle off of Montembeault’s left shoulder and into the cage on the near side. Assists went to Rakell and Crosby.

Canadiens forward Joel Armia’s fourth goal came at 14:26 of the middle frame.

Taking advantage of a haphazard line change by the Penguins, Canadiens forward Jake Evans generated a four-on-two rush into the offensive zone against defensemen Ryan Graves and Owen Pickering. Drawing in both defenders in the high slot, Evans left a drop pass for Canadiens rookie forward Emil Heineman, who immediately fed the puck to the left dot where Armia dropped the hammer on a one-timer, toasting Jarry’s blocker on the near side. Heineman and Evans earned assists.

Rakell rang again 4:40 into the third period.

Racing up the left wing into the offensive zone, Crosby left a drop pass on the half-wall for Rust, who pushed the puck toward the near corner and slid a pass to the top of the crease where Rakell tapped in a forehand shot by Montembeault’s glove. Rust and Crosby collected assists.

Letang poured it on with his sixth goal during a power-play scenario at 7:42 of the third frame.

From Montreal’s left half-wall, Letang dished the puck to the upper left hashmark for Bunting, who one-touched it back to Letang. Appearing to attempt a pass to Rakell to the left of the crease, Letang wound up scoring as the puck seemed to slip under Montembeault’s left leg. Bunting and Rakell recorded assists.

Penguins forward Anthony Beauvillier got in on the act only 59 seconds later with his eighth goal.

Collecting a loose puck in Montreal’s left circle, Penguins forward Cody Glass circled back to the center point and snapped off a wrister that missed to the left of the cage. The puck plunked off the end boards and deflected to the left of the crease where Beauvillier swung his stick with only his right hand, jabbing a shot that found an avenue into the cage under Montembeault’s glove on the far side. Glass and forward Drew O’Connor had assists.

Rust completed his hat trick with an unassisted goal at 11:56 of the third on goaltender Cayden Primeau, who mercifully replaced Montembeault.

After Rakell hounded Armia into a turnover at Montreal’s right point, Crosby surged in to claim the puck and attacked, firing a wrister from the near circle. Primeau made the initial save but allowed a rebound to his right which Crosby jabbed at, putting a forehand shot off the near post. Gallagher tried to clear the rebound while falling to his knees but wound up firing the puck to the right circle where Rust immediately shot a forehand shot into a mostly vacant cage. There were no assists.

Penguins fourth-liner Matt Nieto scored his first goal of the season and first since that road win at San Jose at 14:20 of the final period.

Canadiens forward Josh Anderson lifted a backhander from the Penguins’ left circle but missed the cage. The puck hit off the far corner boards and created something of an outlet for the Penguins as forward Blake Lizotte generated a three-on-two rush in transition. Gaining the Canadiens’ blue line on the left wing, Lizotte slid a pass to the far circle for Grzelcyk, who then dished a pass by kneeling Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj to the left of the crease where Nieto tapped in a forehand shot through Primeau’s five hole. Grzelcyk and Lizotte logged assists.

Noel Acciari, another Penguins fourth-liner, capped the scoring with his third goal at 18:42 in an almost comical fashion.

After Jarry broke up a pass attempt in his own crease by Canadiens forward Patrik Laine, Acciari grabbed the loose puck and rushed it up ice in transition. As Acciari hustled into Montreal’s zone on the left wing, Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble stumbled onto his backside, allowing Acciari a mostly unimpeded route to the cage. Coming to a nearly complete stop at the lower rim of the left circle. Acciari fired a wrister that hit off Primeau’s left skate. As Primeau flopped forward, the rebound fluttered into the air and bounced into the cage. There were no assists.

Jarry stopped 21 of 23 shots, boosting his record to 6-4-1.

“Tonight was just another opportunity to do my thing and just be better,” Jarry said. “That was a step in the right direction.”

Notes:

• The Penguins have won six consecutive games against the Canadiens. That is their longest active winning streak against any one opponent.

• This marks the second consecutive season the Penguins have swept a regular season series with the Canadiens and the fourth time overall:

2012-13 – 3-0-0

2017-18 – 3-0-0

2023-24 – 3-0-0

2024-25 – 3-0-0

• Even with this surge of success, the Penguins still have a lousy record against the Canadiens all-time at 78-116-34 (including 23 ties).

• Rust’s hat trick was the sixth of his career. His most recent three-goal effort came in an 8-5 home win against the Sharks, Jan. 2, 2022.

• The Penguins’ last hat trick against the Canadiens was recorded by Crosby in a 6-1 home win at the Mellon Arena, Oct. 28, 2009.

• Rust (392 points) surpassed forward Chris Kunitz (388) for 15th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Rakell (132 points) surpassed forwards Al McDonough (130) and Ross Lonsberry (129) for 71st place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• In 52 career games against the Canadiens, Crosby has 69 points (25 goals, 44 assists).

• Penguins forwards Kevin Hayes and Jesse Puljujarvi as well as defenseman Ryan Shea were scratched.

• In three career games against the Penguins, Heineman has three points (one goal, two assists).

Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.

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