Bryan Rust scores winner, Penguins beat Blues in overtime

Ron Hextall admits he isn’t quite sure of what to make of the roster he has assembled.

Speaking with media in Cranberry on Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins general manager admitted to some level of befuddlement over how his team has performed through its first 57 games of the season.

“I guess the hardest part with our team right now is probably the volatility,” Hextall said. “It’s a tough one quite frankly to put a finger on.

“Some nights, you ask yourself, what team are we?”

On Saturday, the Penguins were a good team in their 58th game of the 2022-23 campaign. Or, at least good enough to claim a 3-2 overtime road win against an underwhelming St. Louis Blues squad at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak.

Forward Bryan Rust’s 14th goal of the season in overtime was the difference.

After a scoreless first period in which the Penguins controlled shots, 21-7, the Blues took the first lead 23 seconds into the second period thanks to forward Pavel Buchnevich’s 17th goal.

Gaining the offensive zone on the right wing, Blues forward Robert Thomas circumnavigated his way behind the cage and curled around above the left circle where he whipped a rising wrister toward the net. Stationed low in the near circle, Buchnevich redirected the puck down through the five hole of goaltender Tristan Jarry who was standing straight up in reaction to Thomas’ initial shot. Thomas and defenseman Justin Faulk had assists.

A dynamic passing sequence between Penguins second-liners Evgeni Malkin and Rust led to the tying goal at 6:59 of the second period.

From his own zone, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson fired a bank pass off the boards at the home bench. Before Blues defenseman Colton Parayko could get a stick on the puck, Penguins forward Jason Zucker lifted his stick and allowed the puck to deflect off the boards and enter the offensive zone on the left wing where Malkin claimed it, creating a two-on-one rush with Rust against Blues defenseman Marco Scandella. Malkin fed the puck to Rust in the right circle who settled it and drew in Scandella before passing back to Malkin. With a mostly open open net, Malkin buried a forehand shot from low in the left circle behind helpless goaltender Jordan Binnington for his 22nd goal. Rust and Pettersson netted assists.

Pettersson’s first goal of the season supplied the Penguins with their first lead of the contest at 14:32 of the third frame.

Off an outlet pass from in front of the Blues’ bench by Penguins forward Drew O’Connor, linemate Teddy Blueger surged through the neutral zone and gained the offensive blue line at the center point. Leaving a drop pass, Blueger drove the slot and made slight contact with Parayko, creating space for Pettersson to claim the puck and whip a wrister that toasted Binnington’s glove. Assists went to Blueger and O’Connor.

The Blues persisted and tied the game, 2-2, thanks to Faulk’s eighth goal.

From the left wing of the Penguins’ zone, Blues forward Sammy Blais lurched his way past Penguins forward Josh Archibald and attacked the net. After Jarry denied Blais’ backhander, a furious goalmouth scramble ensued that resulted in Scandella pushing the puck between the left hip of seated Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and the left post. The Penguins protested to referee Dan O’Rourke that the play should have been blown dead but to no avail. Forward Alexei Toropchenko and Blais had assists.

Rust’s winning score came 1:14 into the extra period.

Criss-crossing with Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry, Rust gained the Blues’ zone at the center point and veered to the left wing where he fired a wrister that was blocked by Blues defenseman Torey Krug. Malkin wrangled the rebound above the left circle and alertly fed it back to Rust who found free space to the right of the crease and buried a tap-in forehand shot past Binnington’s left skate. Malkin and Petry claimed assists.

Jarry’s record improved to 17-7-5 after he made 25 saves on 27 shots.

Notes:

• Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta was activated from long-term injured reserve earlier in the afternoon and returned to the lineup after being sidelined for 15 games due to an undisclosed injury. Logging an even 13 minutes of ice time on 19 shifts (including 2:32 on the penalty kill), Rutta had one shot on three attempts while primarily being deployed on the third pairing with rookie P.O Joseph.

• Penguins forward Danton Heinen returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for eight games. Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel was a healthy scratch while defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Ryan Poehling were scratched due to undisclosed injuries.

• The Penguins’ last overtime win against the Blues before Saturday was a 4-3 home victory on Nov. 25, 2015. Malkin scored off assists from forward Phil Kessel and defenseman Ben Lovejoy.

• Pettersson’s most recent goal before Saturday came in the 2021-22 regular season finale, a 5-3 home win against the Blue Jackets on April 29.

• Blueger was the Penguins’ only non-goaltender who did not record a shot.

• Jarry continues to be dominant against St. Louis. In five career games versus the Blues, Jarry has a 5-0-0 record, a 1.33 goals against average, a .950 save percentage and one shutout.

• O’Connor’s assist was his sixth point (three goals, three assists) of the season, a new career-high.

• Malkin (1,206 points) surpassed forward Vincent Damphousse (1,205) for 49th place on the NHL’s career scoring list.

• The Blues have lost five consecutive games.