CHICAGO — Pittsburgh Penguins (16-12-9) coach Dan Muse admitted Sunday morning that it might take his team a few minutes to get into the game, find their details, and find each other in their first game since the five-day NHL holiday break.

It was far from perfect, and certainly not a clean performance, but it was a winner as the Penguins walloped hapless Chicago Blackhawks (14-18-6) at the United Center Sunday.

The Penguins got some help from troubled Chicago. Despite lowered expectations for the start, in the first 12 minutes the Penguins led 4-0, killed off two penalties, and by the end of the first period, included a fight on their game-winning resume.

By the end of the second period, Justin Brazeau had a hat trick and the Penguins an insurmountable–even for them–7-2 lead and they coasted home.

The Penguins recently snapped an eight-game winning streak. Still, they lost their final game before the NHL holiday break and badly needed a win against the rebuilding and depleted Chicago roster that was missing its top two players, Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar.

Chicago goalie Spencer Knight was noticeably unsharp, allowing a couple of softies to sail past before Chicago coach Jeff Blashill gave him a seat in favor of Arvid Soderblom following the Penguins’ fourth goal at 12:03 of the first period.

Things started early for the Penguins.

Despite a couple of puck misplays in the defensive zone, which put goalie Arturs Silovs under pressure, the Penguins claimed the early lead. Knight stopped Justin Brazeau’s tip, but Anthony Mantha (12) innocently pushed the loose puck toward the net, where it glided through Knights’ pads at 1:38.

Then came a pair of quick goal lamps that gave the tepid Penguins a commanding lead.

The Chicago defenders were starstruck as puck carrier Sidney Crosby skated across the offensive blueline, and several focused solely on Crosby, not noticing winger Bryan Rust on the left wing. Crosby quickly shoveled a backhand pass through the Chicago bystanders, and Rust (14) snapped a 35-foot wrister from the left circle past Knight at 7:19 for a 2-0 lead.

One minute later, Chicago was again watching as Mantha controlled the play behind the net. No one cut off his pass or covered Brazeau crashing the net. Brazeau easily redirected the pass past Knight for a 3-0 lead at 8:20.

A few minutes after quick strikes, Rust again took advantage of Knight. Emerging from the penalty box, Rust raced into the play as a trailer, uncovered. Ryan Shea stickhandled around a couple of defenders, and put the puck on Rust’s stick.

This time, Rust (15) beat Knight from the right circle at 12:03.

That was it for Knight.

Late in the first period, Penguins winger Noel Acciari and Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy dropped the gloves for a spirited fight in the Chicago zone at 18:16.

The Penguins tallied four goals on 10 shots in the first period and allowed just seven.

It was the first four-goal Penguins lead since they led the San Jose Sharks 5-1 on Dec. 14 and lost 6-5 in overtime.

Sure, they flirted with letting Chicago into the game. Chicago found life at 4-1 and 6-2, but the Penguins got the next goals with quick strikes.

Leading 4-1, Brazeau scored a pair of goals 57 seconds apart for his first career hat trick and the first Penguins hatty this season.

On the power play, Brazeau was in front of the net and executed a hard deke to the right but dangled the puck to the left. Soderblom went with Brazeau (10) as the puck slowly, achingly slid over the line just out of his reach at 12:20 of the second period.

Then Brazeau neatly deflected Connor Dewar’s wrist shot past Soderblom at 13:17.

Chicago quickly answered the Penguins’ sixth goal when a fluky carom off the back wall hit defenseman Erik Karlsson and Silovs before bouncing into the net seconds after Brazeau’s hat trick at 13:30.

The goal was credited to William Kaiser (4).

Late in the second period, Acciari (3) moved to within an assist of a Gordie Howe hat trick when he put back Jack St. Ivany’s wrist shot at 18:48.

St. Ivany had a two point game, also getting an assist on Mantha’s first period goal. Shea had a trio of assists. Blake Lizotte, who returned to the lineup after a 10-game absence had two assists, as well.

Chicago had lost six in a row before snapping their skid with a shootout win over the Dallas Stars Saturday.

Tyler Bertuzzi (19) scored with one second remaining. At least it wasn’t a tying goal?

Silovs stopped 21 of 24 in the win. Knight stopped five of nine shots and Soderblom turned back 12 of 15.

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