You know, Canadiens, you're what the French call les incompetents. After last night’s drubbing the Montreal Canadiens have found a way to lose all three games this season against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins. They did so being outscored 19-6 including last night’s score of 9-2, a game in which they let both Matt Nieto and Noel Acciari score a goal.

The offensive onslaught was highlighted by Bryan Rust’s sixth career hat trick which included one of his patented go wide around and cut back in front of the net goals

Bryan Rust picks up career hatty number six! 6️⃣

Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS pic.twitter.com/YtSYfNonVx

— NHL (@NHL) December 13, 2024

Rust has taken his new role as the milkshake man seriously this year because he is now on track for a career high in goals scored with 34. Since replacing Jake (who also had a hat trick last night) as the milkshake goal representative, he has been on a tear.

Since the Jake Guentzel trade, these are Bryan Rust’s numbers:

• 44 games
• 22 goals
• 18 assists
• 40 points

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) December 13, 2024

It is just a shame it isn’t servicing a competitive playoff team. The Penguins in a different timeline could have still been a legit good team considering Rust isn’t the only one chasing career highs

Pens now have 6 players on pace to set or match their career highs for goals in a season:

Rakell (34)
Rust (34)
Lizotte (26)
Beauvillier (21)
Letang (17)
Tomasino (11)

— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91.bsky.social) December 12, 2024 at 10:27 PM

Sidney Crosby is currently in a little bit of a goal scoring drought. He has only two goals in his last 17 games. I think the goals will start to show up given that he is playing with Rust and Rakell. For the time being he has supplemented goals with a three-assist performance last night. It pulls him to 30 points in 31 games. He needed a multi-point night like this to get him back on track for his point per game pace. The only thing I really want out of this season is for him to hit that mark so it is nice to get a game where he has that kind of success.

The Penguins will look to make it seven wins out of their last nine games when they take on the Ottawa Senators in Canada’s capital city.

Thanks for reading!

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