Rust’s hat trick rallies Penguins

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan keeps insisting there isn’t a switch his team can flip that makes two-goal deficits vanish within a matter of minutes.

It just seems that way.

Bryan Rust had his first career hat trick, Sidney Crosby added his NHL-leading 17th goal and the Penguins raced past the Ottawa Senators 8-5 on Monday night. Pittsburgh poured in six goals over the final 32 minutes after spotting the Senators a 4-2 lead.

“This group has provided enough evidence that regardless of what happens, we have the firepower, the talent level, the capability to win games,” Sullivan said. “There’s a belief that regardless of what the score is, we can win.”

Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel each had a goal and two assists for the Penguins, and Matt Cullen and Justin Schultz also scored. Matt Murray made 17 saves after relieving an ineffective Marc-Andre Fleury in the second period.

“Anytime you’re forced to change goalies it gets everybody’s attention,” Cullen said.

Pittsburgh has won three straight overall and improved to 7-0-2 in its last nine against the Senators. The Penguins also won a game in which they trailed by two for the 13th time since Sullivan took over as coach last December.

“This team [Pittsburgh], you just open the door a little bit and they’ll just barge in,” Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. “So, we have to be better with a two-goal lead, that’s for sure. We’ll learn how to do that.”