Pittsburgh @ Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 23, 2018 ) Pittsburgh 6, Carolina 1

Bryan Rust has been a one-man wrecking crew, scoring five of the Pittsburgh Penguins' last nine goals during the team's most recent four contests. After netting back-to-back game-winning tallies for the first time in his career, Rust bids to send the Penguins into the Christmas break on a high note Saturday when the club visits the Carolina Hurricanes.

"Sometimes that's how hockey goes. It just wants to make me shoot the puck more, I guess," said the 26-year-old Rust, who boosted his point total to nine (eight goals, one assist) in his last six games after collecting just seven (one goal, six assists) in his first 29. Jake Guentzel, who set up both of Rust's tallies in Thursday's 2-1 triumph over Minnesota, recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in four games last season versus the Hurricanes. Pittsburgh's elevation within the Metropolitan Division is due to a 7-2-1 mark in its last 10 contests while Carolina has plummeted during nearly the same stretch, posting a 2-5-2 record in its last nine. Rookie Andrei Svechnikov scored his fourth goal in as many contests in Thursday's 4-1 setback versus Detroit.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (17-12-6): Rust has benefited from being paired with captain Sidney Crosby and Guentzel, with the trio producing 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in three games. "It's been good," Rust said of the line. "We've been talking things out. Kind of reading off of each other well. Just been playing hard." Guentzel has recorded 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in his last 10 home games while Crosby has 15 of his 22 assists at PPG Pants Arena.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (14-14-5): Carolina has outshot its opponents in 27 of 33 games this season, but only has an 11-12-4 mark to show for it. "We dominate stretches of periods and maybe feel that we should be leading," captain Justin Williams said. "We're not mentally tough enough to say, 'All right, that didn't go our way. Let's stick with it.'" Defenseman Justin Faulk is riding a three-game assist streak entering Saturday's tilt versus Pittsburgh, against which he was held off the scoresheet in four games last season despite registering 14 shots on goal.

OVERTIME

1. Carolina LW Sebastian Aho, who leads the team in goals (12), assists (22) and points (34), had three goals and two assists in three meetings with Pittsburgh last season.

2. Penguins G Casey DeSmith owns an 8-2-2 record in his 12 starts this season at PPG Paints Arena.

3. Seventeen (six goals, 11 assists) of Hurricanes LW Teuvo Teravainen's 25 points have been recorded at home.

PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Hurricanes 2