Penguins

(UPDATED) Bryan Rust Upgraded to GTD, Sullivan Juggles Lines

Published

3 months ago

October 12, 2024

TORONTO — After missing much of preseason, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust appears to be returning to the lineup on Saturday when the Penguins face the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Update: Neither rust, nor Coach Mike Sullivan would confirm Rust‘s status but both did so with a strong inference toward Rust playing.

However, coach Mike Sullivan shuffled his lines, and it appears that rookie Rutger McGroarty might be the odd man out. Sullivan put Rust in his traditional spot on Sidney Crosby’s right wing. Anthony Beauvillier was on the left.

Sullivan put Drew O’Connor on the third-line left wing where McGroarty has played.

Rust has been day-to-day for a couple of weeks, recovering from an upper-body injury. Last season, he scored 28 goals with 28 assists in 62 games. Rust also took a spot on the first power play in place of Rickard Rakell, who dropped to the second unit in place of Lars Eller.

PP1: Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust.

PP2: Matt Grzelcyk, Rickard Rakell, Kevin Hayes, Michael Bunting, Jesse Puljujarvi

Penguins lines in the skate are not official, and PHN will update the story when Sullivan addresses the media later this morning. And in a nod to who might be the starting goalie, Joel Blomqvist took the primary net, while Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic rotated in the other.