Empty Thoughts: Penguins 2, Red Wings 1 (OT)

Observations from the Penguins’ 2-1 win against the Red Wings.

DETROIT — It just sounds cool.

“He’s a 20-goal scorer.”

For whatever reason, that number validates a player’s status as a goal scorer.

It can also get a player paid.

Former Penguins forwards Conor Sheary and Tyler Kennedy have received multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts for hitting that plateau just once.

If you’re a 20-goal scorer, you’re just a different class of player, almost seemingly for the remainder of your career.

Hit that 20-goal mark 11 years ago? You’re still a 20-goal scorer.

Plus … it’s just cool.

Don’t take our word for it. Ask a 20-goal scorer.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Penguins forward Bryan Rust, a hour or so after he hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career near his hometown of Troy, Mich.” It’s kind of one of those ‘milestone’ things that once you get closer and closer, you kind of look at as somewhere where you want to be. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten close. Whether it’s injuries or not being able to put a few more in the net, I haven’t been able to do it. It’s pretty special to be able to do it, and especially to be able to do it here.”

Beyond being cool, Rust has been pretty important for the Penguins this season. His goal on Friday got his team on the scoreboard against a limited but hard-working Red Wings team.

“(Rust) has played extremely well for us,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s playing in all situations. We use him on the penalty kill. We use him on the power play, on the first power-play (unit). His confidence is at an all-time high, as it should be. He’s playing extremely well. It’s not easy to score 20 goals in this league.”

Plus, it’s cool.

What happened

Taking a cross-ice pass from Red Wings forward Frans Nielsen, Red Wings forward Filip Zadina settled a puck in the top of the left circle and hurried a wrister as Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson approached with a stick-check attempt. Red Wings forward Givani Smith was positioned above the crease as a screen, allowing the puck to go between his legs and through Murray’s five hole for his sixth goal of the season. Assists went to Nielsen and former Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley.

The Penguins tied the score 3:36 into the third period with a power-play goal of their own. Spinning off a check from Red Wings forward Luke Glendening and controlling a puck at the left point, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby fed a pass to center point for Kris Letang, who one-touched it to forward Evgeni Malkin on the left half wall. Malkin immediately fed a cross-ice pass to Rust in the right circle. From there, Rust lifted a wrister which clinked off the near post and into the net past goaltender Jimmy Howard’s glove. Malkin and Letang netted assists.

At 1:33 of overtime, the Penguins claimed the win. Working on a four-on-three power-play opportunity, Malkin controlled the puck on the right half wall and chopped a shot-pass to the Crosby, positioned above the crease. Crosby tapped the puck past Howard’s right skate for his eighth goal. Assists went to Malkin and Rust.

Statistically speaking

• The Penguins controlled shots, 37-29.

• Malkin led the game with six shots.

• Smith led the Red Wings with four shots.

• Letang led the game with 28:36 of ice time on 29 shifts.

• Defenseman Filip Hronek led the Red Wings with 26:05 of ice time on 32 shifts.

• The Penguins had a 27-23 advantage in faceoffs (54 percent).

• Crosby was 14 for 22 (64 percent).

• Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin was 6 for 9 (67 percent).

• Red Wings defenseman Patrik Nemeth led the game with five blocked shots.

• Letang and defenseman Marcus Pettersson each led the Penguins with two blocked shots.

Historically speaking

• The Penguins’ last overtime win against the Red Wings was a 7-6 victory at Joe Louis Arena, Nov. 11, 2008. Penguins forward Jordan Staal had a hat trick and a great strip of Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk to set up forward Ruslan Fedotenko’s game-winner.

• Rust (156 points) surpassed Tomas Sandstrom (155) and Bob “Battleship” Kelly (154) for 57th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Nielsen recorded his 300th career assist.

Randomly speaking

• In his past six games, Murray has a 5-1-0 record along with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. During his previous six games before this stretch, he was 0-2-3 with a 3.99 goals-against average and an .852 save percentage.

• The Penguins’ power play was 2 for 4. Over their past four games, they are 6 for 15 (40.0 percent).

• Malkin has gone three games without a penalty. Considering he had penalties in eight of his previous nine games, he’s trending in the right direction.

Publicly speaking

• Sullivan on Rust’s presence on the power play:

“He’s been really good on it. He supports the puck so well. His offensive game has really evolved. He’s hanging onto pucks. He’s seeing the ice extremely well. But he supports the puck so well, he plays that pocket really well. When the flanks are under pressure, he comes to the puck. He provides that release that a lot of times, beats the pressure. He’s really playing well right now. You’ve got to give (Rust) so much credit for the work that he’s put in. His mindset is where it should be, he’s hungry, he’s confident and he’s playing the best hockey I think since I’ve been coaching him.”

• Rust on the power play’s success as of late:

“We’re all working together well. We all are moving around. We aren’t trying to make things too cute. And I don’t think we’re getting stagnant out there. The more motion we have and the more pucks we’re getting to the net, that just makes us more dangerous.”

• Sullivan on Murray’s improved play as of late:

“It appears to me like he’s just seeing it. When Matt’s at his best, he makes difficult saves look routine. I think it’s because of his ability to read plays. He squares up to the puck. His depth in the crease is really good. Pucks tend to hit him or they miss the net because of his depth in the crease whether he’s at the top of the paint or he’s in the middle of the paint or whether he’s going to play deeper if there’s a backdoor option or whatever it may be. He’s making good reads. He’s tracking the puck well. He’s finding the puck through the traffic. And he’s swallowing pucks so that next-play opportunity isn’t there for our opponents.”

• Rust on Murray’s approach to his job over the past two months while losing starts to Tristan Jarry:

“He’s been the ultimate professional. I’m not sure he’s too happy about it but he comes to work every day, doesn’t scowl, doesn’t sulk. He comes in, works hard, has fun, does his job and just waits for his time. That’s what he’s been doing and he’s been playing great for us lately.”

• Sullivan spoke about his team’s better effort in puck battles after lacking in that area the night before in Boston:

“We had the puck a lot. We had a lot of zone time. We were hanging onto pucks in that offensive zone. That’s when our team is at our best. We stayed close and offered that support when there were 50-50 puck battles. Those are the kind of details that are important. But you’ve got to work for one another to support those types of plays. I thought we did a much better job of working together tonight.”

Visually speaking

• Game summary.

• Event summary.

• Highlights:

Follow the Penguins all season long.