In Pittsburgh, the Penguins scored six goals in the first period on Sunday, and then held off a surge by the San Jose Sharks, for an 8-5 win.
Evan Rodrigues and Bryan Rust hit for hat tricks in the win.
“I was just happy to be back in the lineup out there,” Rust said. “Playing again and being around the guys, doing all that. To have the night I did is just kind of the cherry on top.”
It was the Pens’ eighth straight win.
Casey DeSmith made 22 saves in the Pittsburgh win.
Alexander Barabanov in the first period to get the Sharks on the board.
“We couldn’t stop it,” Sharks head coach Bob Boughner said. “We tried to call a timeout. We tried switching things up. It was ugly.”
Kasper Bjorkqvist and Jake Guentzel hit for single markers for the Pens.
Brent Burns scored for San Jose in the middle frame.
Matt Nieto, Erik Karlsson, Logan Couture scored in the third period to get the Sharks within one, at 6-5.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Karlsson said. “If you would’ve told us that it would be a one-goal game with two and a half, three minutes left in the third, I don’t think anyone would believe you. But I think once that first period was over with, we just kept a short memory and we tried to do everything we could to establish our game moving forward.”
The Pens iced with Rodrigues’ third of the game on the power play, and Rust’s empty-net strike for his hat trick.
“We obviously got off to that hot start,” Rodrigues said. “Everyone was kind of feeling good, then we got up 6-1. It’s kind of a mental battle, trying to stay engaged. In your head, you know you have to. But sometimes, it’s just natural to let your foot off the gas a little bit.”
James Reimer yielded six goals in the first period, making 11 saves. He was given the hook in the first intermission.
Zach Sawchenko made 20 saves in relief, it was his NHL debut.
“Obviously, it wasn’t how you draw it up,” Sawchenko said. “But at the end of the day, you’re kind of tapped on your shoulder. … We’re professionals here, we have a job to do. I understood the situation we were in. I was trying to give the team a spark. Luckily enough, we made a comeback and just fell a little short there.”
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