Penguins' Bryan Rust out week-to-week with upper-body injury

The Pittsburgh Penguins, still feeling the sting of losing top winger Jake Guentzel to injury, received more bad news Tuesday afternoon as coach Mike Sullivan informed reporters in Vancouver that forward Bryan Rust is out week-to-week with an unspecified upper-body injury.

Guentzel, currently on long-term injured reserve, is unable to be activated until at least March 10.

Rust’s timetable for return is unknown.

The 31-year-old Rust has 18 goals, third on the Penguins behind Sidney Crosby and Guentzel, as well as 18 assists through 42 games. He is averaging 19 minutes, 4 seconds of ice time.

Rust was injured in Sunday’s 7-6 home victory against the Philadelphia Flyers. After scoring two goals, Rust left the ice with about 13 minutes left in regulation and did not return.

Sullivan already has been forced to plug a big hole on his top line opposite Crosby with Guentzel out.

Now, with a tough four-game road trip against Western Conference foes looming — beginning at 10 p.m. Tuesday against the Canucks — he will have to get even more creative minus Rust, who has seven goals in the club’s last nine games.

Not to mention, Rust was a regular on the club’s power play, averaging 2:17 per game on the man-advantage.

The Penguins’ usual top line of Guentzel, Crosby and Rust had been one of the NHL’s best this season, with 72 goals and 76 assists between the three.

Any move Sullivan makes to fill out his top line creates a trickle-down effect among the team’s second, third and fourth lines. With Guentzel out, Sullivan has turned to Rickard Rakell to play left wing.

Back in December, when Rust was unavailable for 10 games because of an undisclosed injury, Sullivan deployed Drew O’Connor on the first line with Guentzel and Crosby.