As a team with many limitations, the Pittsburgh Penguins need to get offense from just about every component of the roster.
On Tuesday, seemingly every molecule of their lineup contributed as the Penguins erupted offensively, blasting the Montreal Canadiens, 9-2, at Bell Centre in Montreal.
It was the most goals the Penguins had scored since a 10-4 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).
Forward Bryan Rust led the way with the Penguins’ first hat trick of the season.
The Canadiens struck on their first shot of the contest when forward Nick Suzuki scored his 11th goal of the season off a turnover by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang in Montreal’s zone.
After that, it was (almost) all Penguins.
Forward Rickard Rakell tied the score 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.
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, Penguins forward Sidney 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.
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.
Canadiens forward Joel Armia’s fourth goal came at 14:26 of the middle frame, but that was it for the hosts.
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.
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 Michael Bunting, who one-touched it back to Letang. Appearing to attempt a pass to Rakell to the right of the crease, Letang wound up scoring as the puck seemed to slip under Montembeault’s left leg.
Penguins forward Anthony Beauvillier got in on the act only 59 seconds later with his eighth goal.
Rust completed his hat trick with an unassisted goal at 11:56 of the third on goaltender Cayden Primeau, who mercifully replaced Montembeault.
Fourth-liner Matt Nieto scored his first goal of the season and first since last season’s win in San Jose at 14:20 of the final period. Linemate Noel Acciari’s third goal capped the scoring at 18:42.
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry unofficially stopped 21 of 23 shots, boosting his record to 6-4-1.
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.