Bryan Rust had two goals and an assist to help the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Erik Karlsson had three assists, Sidney Crosby had two assists, and Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Penguins (8-12-4), who had lost three straight, six of seven and eight of 10.

The heatmap from this game was a mess, as the Canucks could not protect their crease at all. Four of the five goals can from in tight, with Pittsburgh essentially setting up camp in front of Artūrs Šilovs for the entire first period. While there were some issues on the offensive side, the way Vancouver played defensively was very problematic.

Bryan Rust scored twice in a three-point performance and the host Pittsburgh Penguins rode a four-goal first period to a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted yet another Thanksgiving Eve showdown as per team tradition on Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena. This year, they defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 5-4. The Penguins built a 4-1 lead in the first period,

As for the Canucks as a whole, they need to be better during the first period. Yes, their goaltending put them in a hole, but they struggled to defend the crease and allowed the Penguins too much time and space to make plays. Overall, they looked like a tired team that only found their game in the third period.

Bryan Rust had two goals and an assist to help the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Wednesday night.

The Pittsburgh Penguins wrap up their homestand by hanging on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday.

Bryan Rust had two goals and an assist to help the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Wednesday night.