Penguins Today: The irreplaceable Bryan Rust nears return from injury
Let's begin today with a wild statement: Bryan Rust is the Pittsburgh Penguins' most irreplaceable player.
Stay with me on this one.
Best player? No.
Rust isn't Sidney Crosby . But if Crosby isn't available, or in a funk, the Penguins usually have Evgeni Malkin . And though it's tempting to think of the starting goalie as irreplaceable — that's not true anymore in the NHL , and certainly not for the Penguins.
Rust fills so many roles. He's productive with Crosby or Malkin, plays with pace and tenacity and is a bit of a pest.
Responsible defensively? Check.
Able to handle the top power play and heavy penalty-kill duties? Check.
Clutch goal scorer? Check.
Rust brings more to the table than any other Penguins player.
When he's unavailable, as he has been for the last four games because of a lower-body injury , his absence is unmistakable.
It looks as though Rust could play for the Penguins against the Hurricanes in Carolina tonight, and if not, perhaps against the Capitals in Washington on Friday night. So hey — something to look forward to.
They said it
"After the initial hit, it's been a lot quicker than I expected. I wasn't as optimistic at first just 'cause it — it sucked." — Rust, on recovering from his lower-body injury.
Immediately after he was run into the boards by Nils Hoglander of the Canucks , Rust reacted like somebody who thought his knee had just sustained significant damage. I wondered if that would be the last time Rust would play for a while.
Within a couple of days, Rust and the Penguins were relieved after a specialist fully examined him. The hockey gods seem to have been on his side this time.
How to watch, listen, follow
The Penguins (5-7-2, 12 points) face the Carolina Hurricanes (9-2-0, 18 points) at Lenovo Center. The opening faceoff is set for just after 7 p.m. ET.
Also, I'm and Josh is ... if you're still able to find us on X's feed.
History n'at
Pittsburgh and Cleveland are talked about as Rust Belt rival cities, but that's mostly because of the Steelers-Browns series in the NFL .
The towns' respective MLB franchises, the Pirates and Guardians, rarely play. And though each is a three-team city, Pittsburgh does hockey while Cleveland does hoops.
Today is the anniversary of the Penguins playing the Cleveland Barons for the first time. That happened in the Richfield Coliseum on Nov. 7, 1976, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
The Barons didn't last long, and several generations of hockey fans are likely unaware the NHL existed in Cleveland.
Despite its market size, Cleveland is never mentioned as a possible expansion destination. (Heck, there are more examples of speculation that Pittsburgh could be on the NBA 's radar. It isn't.)
Anyway, pour one out for the rivalry that never had a chance: Penguins vs. Barons.
Oh, what might have been.
Don't miss
• I'm guessing Joel Blomqvist starts in net for the Penguins in Carolina. That would make sense because he hasn't played the last three games, the Penguins play in Washington tomorrow night, and Tristan Jarry's AHL loan expires in a few days.
I don't envision the Penguins carrying three goalies on the 23-man roster for too long upon Jarry's return, so fans of Blomqvist might want to watch him while they can.
Alex Nedeljkovic has been very good since making his season debut. He's essentially the No. 1 goalie, even if nobody with the Penguins has said those words.
In his Goalie Tracking column, Jesse Granger argues Nedeljkovic is the NHL's ideal backup.
• The Penguins don't make Sean McIndoe's list of worst teams with multiple Hall Of Famers .
But I encourage you to give the story a read anyway. It's fun, and it'll come in handy the next time you want to rag on the Rangers (not that the Penguins were living the dream in 2003-04).
(Photo of Bryan Rust: Claus Andersen / )
