Bryan Rust records sixth career hat trick as Penguins clobber Canadiens 9-2

The Pittsburgh Penguins displayed high octane offense on Thursday in a 9-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. In the dominant Penguins’s win, Penguins right winger Bryan Rust of Pontiac, Michigan had his sixth career NHL hat trick. After a slow start to the season, the Penguins have won six of their last 10 games and are now only two points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Inside look at the hat trick

Rust put the Penguins up 2-1 at 10:03 of the second period from two-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist Sidney Crosby of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. He then put the Penguins up 3-1 from Crosby and right winger Rickard Rakell of Sundbyberg, Sweden at 13:27 of the second period. Rust’s game-winning goal was only three minutes and 24 seconds after scoring his first goal of the game. Rust then had an unassisted marker at 11:56 of the third period to put the Penguins up 7-2. It was the fourth of six consecutive Penguins goals in the third period.

Who else contributed to the Penguins?

Rust finished with four points as he helped set up Rakell. Four other Penguins had a multi-point game. They were Rakell (two goals and two assists for four points), Crosby (three assists), defenseman Kris Letang of Montreal, Quebec (one goal and one assist for two points), and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk of Boston, Massachusetts (two assists). The other three Penguins goal scorers were Noel Acciari of Johnston, Rhode Island, left winger Anthony Beauvillier of Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, and Matthew Nieto of Long Beach, California.

Rust’s five prior hat tricks

This is Rust’s first hat trick this season. He also scored thrice in an 8-5 Penguins win over the Ottawa Senators on December 5, 2016, in a 6-3 Penguins loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on December 12, 2018, in a 7-3 Penguins win over the Ottawa Senators on March 3, 2020, in a 6-3 Penguins win over the New York Islanders on March 27, 2021, and in an 8-5 Penguins win over the San Jose Sharks on January 2, 2022.

Rust in 2024-25

This season, Rust has 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points. He is a -12 with eight penalty minutes, four power-play points, three game-winning goals, 68 shots on goal, two faceoff wins, 17 blocked shots, 25 hits, eight takeaways, and 25 giveaways.