Freeze Frame: The Rust that's needed on the first line taken at PPG Paints Arena (Penguins)

JEANINE LEECH / GETTY

Jake Guentzel shoots and scores against Cam Talbot in the second period Friday at PPG Paints Arena.

Bryan Rust has likely been a bit streakier than he or the Penguins would've like to this point of the season. He's scored only 10 goals over halfway through the season and hasn't looked exactly like himself at times.

Of course, there have been other times when Rust finds his groove and looks like the near point-per-game player he was the previous three seasons. It wasn't all game, but Rust found his groove in the Penguins' 4-1 victory over the Senators here at PPG Paints Arena Friday when he went end-to-end before setting up Jake Guentzel for his first goal of the game.

The goal:

"Rusty made a great play," Guentzel said of the goal. "He took it from the D-zone, I just tried to get speed and he made a great play to find me. I just tried to get the puck off as fast as I can."

What Rust did on that play needs to find its way into every hockey textbook (E-book?) out there. It's exactly how you draw it up.

Gaining possession in the corner of his own end, Rust wisely used crossover strides to get off the wall and threaten toward the middle of the ice. Had he simply tried skating straight out of the zone, it would have been far too easy for a Senators skater to pinch him off. As Rust established a path toward the middle, he waited for the closest Senators forechecker to cross over to the inside before darting right back into the lane he just came from. It was extremely effective to get around the first wave of pressure.

Upon crossing the offensive blue line, Rust once again took the same angle from the perimeter to the middle of the ice. This time, however, he had the attention of four Senators who formed a box around him. In doing so, they forgot all about Guentzel flying down the other side of the ice.

Rust was patient and waited as long as possible to pass in order to bait the Senators' coverage even further. Once the sticks leaned in, the puck was off his blade and on its way to Guentzel for the finish.

That's the kind of energy, skating and skill with the puck the Penguins need from Rust while playing on the first line. He's capable of bringing it more frequently.

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