Pens rake and bag Maple Leafs

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In Pittsburgh, the Penguins showed, while they want Sidney Crosby on the ice, they don’t necessarily need him.

Dominik Kahun struck for two goals and the Pens demolished the Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-1.

“I think, as a team, it’s huge that we finally got two points again,” Kahun said. “That was big for us. For me, I say it all the time, I just try to work hard every game and sometimes I get rewarded for that, like tonight.”

Tristan Jarry made 32 saves in the win.

“It’s unacceptable the way we played tonight,” Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said. “The way we went out there and played obviously isn’t close to what our standard is, our expectation, and what we need to do to get the results we want.”

It’s unacceptable for may reasons, but chief among them is the bloated salary line for the Leafs who are now 9-9-4 and spinning their wheels game in and game out.

Jason Spezza put the only blemish on Jarry’s game.

“We didn’t play hard enough for long enough,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “In the end, as an athlete, you put on your sweater. You want to be proud of how hard you compete and how hard you play for one another. We didn’t look after that.

“We have to take a look at each other and get this fixed. No one on the outside is going to fix it. We have to fix it.”

Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel had goals and multi-point nights in the win.

“Usually everyone in the rink can hear it when [Malkin] wants [the puck],” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think that’s an indication of just how invested he is into the game. When he’s feeling it, he tends to be vocal.”

Jared McCann also scored for the Pens.

[WATCH: All Maple Leafs vs. Penguins highlights]

Kasimir Kaskisuo made 32 saves for the loss in his NHL debut.

“I felt like they battled for me, but things just didn’t work out today,”  Kaskisuo said. “Yeah, of course, it’s going to be emotional and kind of crazy playing in your first game with how things go, so it’s good to have their support and know they’re going to battle for you until the end.”