The Pittsburgh Penguins were in action on Monday against the Utah Mammoth, making a visit to Salt Lake City to take on their hosts at Delta Center. Unfortunately, they were defeated by a 5-4 final score – but that wasn’t the only loss they suffered.
Not only did they lose the game, but the Penguins also lost one of their most important forwards, as Bryan Rust was injured and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Announce Veteran Forward Bryan Rust Won’t Return Against Mammoth
The Penguins announced that forward Bryan Rust, who was not on the bench to begin the third period, was finished for the night.
He suffered a lower-body injury, and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Before his injury, he had played in 9:32 worth of ice time, and had a pair of assists, his first two helpers of the season.
The Penguins, who came into the contest having lost three straight games, simply need to work harder, as Rust explained prior to the contest.
“When things aren’t going your way, both individually and at a team level, I think you just got to work a little bit harder,” Rust said via Pens Inside Scoop. “I think you got to get a greasy win, a hard-fought win. Guys blocking shots, doing the little things. Go to the net, get some ugly goals, things like that. I think the only way you’re going to do it is work out of it.”
Whether or not Rust is able to play in Pittsburgh’s next contest remains to be seen. He’s under contract through 2028 with a $5.125 million cap hit.
Bryan Rust Has Heavily Been Involved In Trade Rumors In Recent Months
All throughout last summer, Rust was one of many Penguins players that was heavily involved in trade rumors; the others being his teammates Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson.
But as fate would have it, all three players not only remained with the Penguins for the duration of last season, but are still with the club for this season.
He’s appeared in 717 career NHL games, all with the Penguins, and has scored 235 goals with 272 assists. He’s also added 22 goals and 15 assists in 85 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Penguins Make Brutal Injury Announcement Against Mammoth