Penguins forward Bryan Rust savors 20-goal mark
DETROIT — He didn’t want to talk about it.
At least when he was “18-goal scorer Bryan Rust.”
Can he see himself as a 20-goal scorer?
“No,” the Pittsburgh Penguins forward said tersely after a practice Jan. 11 in Scottsdale, Ariz. “I try not to. But it’s obviously something that creeps up in the back of your mind.”
During Friday’s 2-1 overtime win against his hometown Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena, he became “20-goal scorer Bryan Rust” and was much more at ease discussing that tetrahedral number afterwards.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Rust, who was born in Pontiac, Mich., and raised in Troy, Mich. “It’s kind of one of those ‘milestone’ things that once you get closer and closer, you kind of look at as somewhere where you want to be. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten close. Whether it’s injuries or not being able to put a few more in the net, I haven’t been able to do it. It’s pretty special to be able to do it, and especially to be able to do it here.”
Rust, whose previous career high of 18 came last season, hit No. 20 at 3:36 of the third period to tie the score.
Off a cross-ice pass from forward Evgeni Malkin, Rust lifted a wrister from the left circle that skipped off the glove of goaltender Jimmy Howard, hit the crossbar and deflected into the net.
(Video courtesy NHL)
It was Rust’s fifth power-play goal of the season, easily a career high considering he had two in his career before 2019-20.
Addressing a need is nothing new for Rust. That attribute largely has defined his six-year existence in the NHL, and that’s basically how he was introduced to the power play this season. Injuries to stars such as Malkin, forwards Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel as well as defensemen Kris Letang and Justin Schultz throughout the first four months of the season have offered Rust a role on the top power-play unit.
Additionally, with the departure of Phil Kessel last offseason via trade, the void of a forward with a right-handed shot on the top power-play squad has been filled by Rust.
“He’s been really good on (the power play),” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He supports the puck so well. His offensive game has really evolved. He’s hanging onto pucks. He’s seeing the ice extremely well. But he supports the puck so well. He plays that pocket really well.
“When the flanks are under pressure, he comes to the puck. He provides that release that a lot of times beats the pressure. He’s really playing well right now. You’ve got to give (Rust) so much credit for the work that he’s put in. His mindset is where it should be. He’s hungry. He’s confident, and he’s playing the best hockey I think since I’ve been coaching him.”
This might be the best hockey Rust has played in his life. Or at least a decade, considering his last 20-goal season came in 2009-10 with the United States National Development Program’s under-18 team, when he put up 26 goals in 65 games.
Rust, 27, has been a prominent goal scorer throughout his Penguins tenure. He has put pucks in nets to win playoff games and series during successful Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and ’17.
But now, he’s a more prolific goal scorer.
What is it about hitting that 20-goal mark that validates someone’s credentials as a scorer?
“I’m not sure,” Rust said. “Scoring one goal every four games is pretty tough in this league, especially with how good everybody is and how deep every team is.”
“I just think it’s based on history of the league,” said Sullivan, who never scored more than nine goals in a season during his 11-year playing career. “It’s not easy to score 20 goals in this league. (Rust) has played extremely well for us. He’s playing in all situations. We use him on the penalty kill. We use him on the power play, on the first power-play (unit).
“His confidence is at an all-time high, as it should be.”
Note: In the midst of playing three games in four days, the Penguins canceled practice Saturday. They host the Boston Bruins at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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