PITTSBURGH — Things had gotten ugly for the Penguins — and that’s probably putting it mildly.

Losses in eight of 10. An NHL-worst 42 goals allowed during that stretch. Wobbly special teams and a dearth of depth scoring. Tension so strong you could feel it.

Apparently the scent or anticipation of Thanksgiving helps.

Pittsburgh overwhelmed the Vancouver Canucks with a four-goal first period and did enough the rest of the way to leave PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday with a 5-4 victory, one the Penguins hope could get things moving in the right direction.

“We should feel good about it because we really worked hard,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought we played on our toes.”

“This feels really good,” Marcus Pettersson added. “Something to build off of.”

Bryan Rust led the Penguins with two goals and three points. Erik Karlsson contributed three assists, Sidney Crosby two. Blake Lizotte, Rickard Rakell and Kevin Hayes (power play) accounted for Pittsburgh’s other goals.

The Penguins enjoyed a terrific start and held a 5-1 lead 3:40 into the second period, the result of what Sullivan described as a simplified and more proactive playing style.

There was also some turbulence late, with Tristan Jarry allowing three goals over the final 26:20 to make the 16,016 in attendance plenty nervous.

But the Penguins did enough to protect the lead, producing some teachable moments and a more enjoyable meal on Thanksgiving.

“Hopefully we can keep building something good,” Karlsson said. “Even when things aren’t going our way, hopefully we can stick with it and realize that we can play with anybody.”

The Penguins (8-12-4) have now won five of six and nine of 11 on Thanksgiving Eve.

First-shot goals have been a sizable issue this season, as Jarry had coughed up four in his six starts. That storyline changed in this one.

Jarry actually stopped the first shot he faced — a wrister from center Pius Suter that he denied with his left pad — and Lizotte handed the Penguins a 1-0 lead by shoving home a rebound at 3:59 of the first.

“I just went to the net and hoped it got there,” Lizotte said. “It was a good bounce.”

The Canucks answered with a goal from fourth-line center Aatu Raty at 8:52 of the first. However, a strong shift from Crosby’s line turned things in the Penguins’ favor.

Crosby, Rakell and Rust produced three shots in 11 seconds before play stopped. Coming out of the TV timeout, Sullivan sent them over the boards again, and they rewarded Sullivan with a goal.

Rakell got it when he finished Crosby-style from one-knee at the left post, Rust threading the needle with a pass across the slot. It was the second goal in four games for Rakell, who went nine without after scoring six in his first 11 contests this season.

Rakell and Rust flanking Crosby has worked before thanks to a combination of Rust’s speed and puck pursuit, Rakell’s shot and Sid being Sid. It would help the Penguins a great deal if they could reprise that success.

“When they control play like they did [Wednesday], it increases our opportunities to win exponentially,” Sullivan said.

Kevin Hayes stretched the Penguins’ lead to 3-1 with a power-play marker at 15:14 of the opening period, his first tally in nine games. Evgeni Malkin started the sequence with a patient play from the bottom of the right circle. Hayes chipped a pass past Silovs to help a unit that had gone just 4 for 23 (17.4%) over the past nine games.

Rust capped off the impressive period for the Penguins by converting a slick feed from Crosby at 17:41, the finishing sequence made possible by a terrific stretch pass courtesy of Karlsson. The versatile winger then converted a shot from atop the right circle for the four-goal cushion.

After the Penguins held on, there was a noticeable, collective exhale.

And a few smiles.

“We play a game for a living,” Rust said. “I think sometimes everybody forgets that. It’s supposed to be fun. Yes, it’s our job. Yes, it’s hard. We obviously take it very seriously. But it’s a game. We’re supposed to have fun.

“That breeds confidence, and everybody is on their toes when that happens.”

Ice chips

— Owen Pickering was ill and did not play. Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan Graves were healthy scratches, while Valtteri Puustinen was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

— The Penguins improved to 7-3-1 in their last 11 games against Vancouver, scoring four or more goals seven times. Rakell has enjoyed a personal run of success against the Canucks, improving to 22-6-5 against them.

— A welcomed quiet night for the Penguins penalty kill, which has struggled of late. That group was clicking at just 69.7% over the last 10. Meanwhile, Vancouver's power play had scored on eight of 30 chances (26.7%) during the same span. The Penguins took just one penalty.

— Jarry stopped 23 of 27 shots to improve to 4-1 on Thanksgiving Eve. Oddly, three of those wins have come against his hometown Canucks. This was Jarry’s first NHL win since Oct. 16.

— Crosby has eight goals and 19 points in his last 16 games against Vancouver.

— Defenseman Quinn Hughes knifed his way through the Penguins and scored to make it a 5-3 game 40 seconds into the third. It was an impressive effort by Hughes, fine. But Jarry has to stop Vancouver's second goal: a shot from Suter that snuck through when Jarry failed to seal the near post.

Stat n’at

13: Wins for the Penguins over Rick Tocchet-coached teams. They're now 13-4-1 against their former player and assistant coach.

He said it

“We had a lead. And we held onto it.” — Pettersson

Coming up

The Penguins are scheduled to practice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Thanksgiving before traveling to Boston to face the Bruins on Black Friday.

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