Things can change quickly in the NHL. On Monday, the Penguins were in the throes of a six-game losing streak, their longest of the season, and were still banged up on the back line.
On Tuesday, two defenseman returned, as did the Penguins' offense, and suddenly, all was right in Pittsburgh once again.
Of course, Sidney Crosby had a little bit to do with that, as well.
Crosby scored and collected his 800th career assist, and Bryan Rust posted a hat trick, as the Penguins cruised past the Ottawa Senators, 7-3.
Crosby became the 32nd player in NHL history to reach the 800-assist plateau when he earned the secondary assist on Jason Zucker's goal 36 seconds into the third period that put the Penguins up 5-1. The 32-year-old Crosby needed just 980 games to get to 800, the sixth-fastest ever.
The statistics from Rust and Crosby stole some of the spotlight away from the return of defensemen John Marino and Brian Dumoulin, who are expected to help bolster the back line this postseason.
Marino scored on his first shift, 48 seconds into the game, off feeds from forwards Evgeni Malkin and Zucker. Marino posted 31 shifts, occupying 20:55 of ice time, and finished with three hits. Dumoulin also dented the score sheet in his return, registering an assist in his 19:52 time on the ice.
Marino missed 11 games due to facial surgery. During the third period of a 4-2 loss at Tampa Bay Feb. 6, he fell to the ice after a deflected Steven Stamkos slap shot landed just to the side of his helmet on his cheek. He skated off with a towel pressed to his face a few minutes after trainers rushed to his side. He had surgery to repair facial bone fractures on Feb. 10.
Marino, a 22-year-old rookie, has been a steadying force on the blue line as the Penguins have battled injuries this season. At the time of his injury, his point total was eighth among all rookies, and his average time on ice was third. Dumoulin, meanwhile, had been sidelined since Nov. 30 with an ankle injury.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan preached patience following a nightmarish road swing through California in which Pittsburgh was outscored and outplayed for long stretches by three clubs who will be sitting home when the playoffs begin next month. Sullivan instructed his team to keep it simple, to put the puck on the net, and good things would likely happen. So far, so good.
For Rust, it was his third career hat trick, and with 27 goals, he is now one away from establishing a new single-season high.
The Penguins, in third place in the Metropolitan Division, now have 82 points, one away from second-place Philadelphia, and four away from first-place Washington.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.