Ryan Graves scored 2:17 into the game and the Pittsburgh Penguins never trailed in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues.

In the aftermath of deconstructing his flawed roster, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas laid out Saturday the base level of expectations of what he demands over the remainder of the regular season from a team that will miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust each had a goal with an assist while Tristan Jarry made 33 saves in another solid outing, as the host Pittsburgh Penguins won their third straight, 5-3 on Thursday night.

Ryan Graves scored 2:17 into the game and the Pittsburgh Penguins never trailed Thursday night in a 5-3 win against the St. Louis Blues. Graves’ goal was his first of the season, and Conor Timmins flicked a shot over the stick-side shoulder of goaltender Jordan Binnington to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead almost 2½ minutes into the second period.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to build on the momentum of two consecutive victories against Western Conference playoff teams when they take on the St. Louis Blues in Pittsburgh on Thursday.