Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust has not played since the Penguins’ 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 6th, and in his absence, the Penguins have put together remarkably uneven performances. They’ve collected a few wins but an embarrassing 7-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs showed the cracks in the team’s foundation. Today, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relays word from Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who said Rust skated today on an individual basis, the first time he’s been on the ice since he went down on injured reserve.
Rust’s return to the Penguins lineup would provide the team with a significant boost as it looks to climb in the Metropolitan Division playoff race. Rust has scored 10 goals and 20 points in 22 games this season and scored 20 goals and 46 points last season. Although Valtteri Puustinen has filled in nicely in the team’s top-six with four points in five games, getting Rust back would give the team a needed boost for its playoff chase.
Some more injury updates from around the NHL:
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported that Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon was not present for the team’s morning skate, indicating that he will miss the team’s game tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Spurgeon is among the Wild’s most important players, but in his absence Brock Faber has emerged as one of the fastest-rising young defensemen in hockey, playing as many as 30 minutes per night.
- Independent Boston hockey reporter Joe Haggerty relayed word from Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery today, who said that defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is out day-to-day. Grzelcyck has not been ruled out for any of the Bruins’ games during their upcoming three-game road trip, although an absence is certainly possible.
Spurgeon being one of the most important players for the Wild is quite true and an indictment on the job Guerin is doing.
You have a lot of criticism for GM’s WilfyBoy. If it was easy to build a dynasty with a fixed cap everyone would do it!
Leave Puustinen on the second line and put either Rust or Rakell on the 3rd line when both are healthy.
If Rust keeps up with that level of production, they sure don’t need him as low in the lineup as 3rd line.
I’ve been saying all season that we need to get one of those two on the 3rd line if we want to have a chance.
Nylander, Puustinen, Puljujarvi, call Jagr even…we just need someone to mesh with Geno.
Someone who’ll produce, anyway. Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, they’re doing their jobs … and Sid’s putting a lot of pucks in the net, never mind “for his age;” he’s threatening his career high in goals. But the lack of production from ANYone else but them and Rust is shocking — Erik Karlsson shouldn’t be 5th in goal scoring.
1. Derek Forbort is currently on LTIR
2. The Bruins are actually worse on the PK with Forbort in the lineup.
That’s my mistake, shouldn’t have added that in. Appreciate the correction!