Penguins hold on for wild win over Flyers, but Bryan Rust suffers injury
Bryan Rust long ago proved he can make a substantial impact on the Penguins’ postseason fortunes.
A vital component of the franchise’s two most recent Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, he helped achieve those triumphs with a handful of series-clinching goals.
And in 2024, he is doing just about everything he can to sway the Penguins’ playoff hopes as they fight an uphill battle in the final weeks of the ongoing regular season to even qualify for the postseason.
His latest contribution came on Sunday during a fever dream of a 7-6 home win against the rival Philadelphia Flyers as he racked up two goals and an assist.
Those figures might have been more ample had he finished the contest, however.
An undisclosed injury deprived the Penguins of his services for the final 13:14 of regulation.
No substantial update on his status was provided, but coach Mike Sullivan indicated Rust remained scheduled to join the team on its upcoming four-game road trip through Western Canada and Seattle.
With the team already forging on without the abilities of fellow first-liner Jake Guentzel — sidelined until March 10 at the earliest due to an undisclosed ailment — any potential absence by Rust, a 20-goal scorer each of the past four seasons, would be an obvious detriment to whatever aspirations the Penguins harbor of playing meaningful games this spring.
Currently, Rust is third on the team with 18 goals.
“(Rust), I think has been one of our more consistent players all year,” Sullivan said. “He plays an honest game, he plays the game the right way on both sides of the puck, he brings a ton of speed, he’s in great shape, he’s ultra-competitive, we love everything about his game. He plays an inspiring game with the way he plays. He’s been one of our most consistent players.
“He had a huge impact on the game tonight.”
Sunday’s game unfolded like a tornado.
After overcoming an early deficit, the Penguins allowed the Flyers to tie the game twice in the second period.
And even with the benefit of two power-play goals for the hosts — a rare occurrence for that beleaguered special teams unit — the Penguins managed to give up a short-handed goal, offsetting that progress somewhat.
Mix in a big open ice hit by Penguins forward Jansen Harkins that injured Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale in the second period with 13 goals overall and it was a wonderfully messy but captivating hockey game to watch.
And it was a vital victory for the Penguins (26-21-8, 60 points) who are one of several teams chasing the Flyers (30-21-7, 67 points) for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
“They just kept coming and I thought it was a great response a few different times from us,” Penguins forward Sidney Crosby said. “So, that’s a big one. That’s what we need to do is find ways to bounce back like that.”
The Flyers struck first 2:11 into regulation via defenseman Travis Sanheim’s eighth goal of the season.
After the Penguins iced the puck, the Flyers won the ensuing faceoff and established a beachhead in the offensive zone with a dominant shift. Penguins forward Lars Eller recovered a loose puck in his own right corner and his attempt at a clear hit off the left skate of Flyers forward Scott Laughton. Sanheim claimed the rebound at the right point and slid it to the near circle for Flyers rookie forward Olle Lycksell who fell to his knees and pushed a pass back to the right point. From there, Laughton pumped a writer toward the cage which Sanheim, stationed below the hashmarks, deflected by goaltender Tristan Jarry’s glove. Laughton and Lycksell had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 26, 2024
The Penguins’ top line responded with the next two goals. The first tied the game, 1-1, at the 9:38 mark.
Settling a puck in the high slot of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Rickard Rakell backpedaled toward the left half-wall and released a shot/pass to the slot where Rust deflected the puck on net. Goaltender Cal Petersen, appearing in only his fifth game of the season, made the initial save with his right leg but could not prevent Crosby from converting the rebound with a wrister from the left of the crease for his team-best 32nd goal. Rust and Rakell registered assists.
87 games vs. the Flyers for no. 87.
Crosby's goals (55) and points (126) are the most in NHL history vs. Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/6Coo7sjXvT
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 25, 2024
Rust supplied the hosts with their first lead at 17:15 with his 17th goal.
After Rakell won a puck battle in Philadelphia’s right corner against Flyers defenseman Sean Walker, Crosby claimed possession and dished a pass to the center point for Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson who gripped and ripped a wrister. Gliding through traffic above the crease, Rust deflected the puck with his stick through a keyhole-narrow opening between Petersen’s blocker and left hip. Pettersson and Crosby claimed assists.
Bryan Rust has scored five goals in his last seven games ???? pic.twitter.com/IY4hA9T71i
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 25, 2024
Flyers rookie forward Tyson Foerster’s 12th goal of the season tied the game again, 2-2, only 55 seconds into the second period.
Corralling a rim off the end boards at the right point of the offensive zone, Flyers defenseman Sean Walker dished the puck to Flyers forward Owen Tippett on the near half-wall. Curling to his left, Tippett slipped a pass through the right circle by the stick of Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson to the right of the cage where Foerster was able to make a clever maneuver. Going backhand to forehand, Foerster tucked a wrister by Jarry’s left skate on the near side. Tippett and Walker tallied assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 26, 2024
Rust regained the lead for the Penguins with a power-play goal at 11:58 of the second frame.
Off some strong perimeter passing, Karlsson took a feed at center point of the offensive zone and dished a short-area pass above the right circle for Rust who sizzled a wrister by Petersen’s left shoulder on the near side. Assists went to Karlsson and Crosby.
A power-play goal for the Penguins... and two goals for Bryan Rust!
Rust now has an active five-game point streak against the Flyers (3G-5A). pic.twitter.com/sZD075r0Fz
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 25, 2024
Drysdale left the game at 11:54 of the second period due to an apparent injury to his left arm or shoulder as a result of being run over by Harkins on a clean but violent hit in the neutral zone.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 26, 2024
“He was just jumping up and I was coming in a little late,” Harkins said. “Saw him with his head down. Just bodied him. You don’t want to see anyone get hurt but when you get a chance to make a hit like that, I’ve got to make sure I finish it.”
After Flyers forward Nicolas Deslauriers took a roughing penalty in retaliation, the Penguins converted the ensuing power-play opportunity when forward Emil Bemstrom scored in his debut with the club.
Settling a loose puck in the left circle of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Reilly Smith banked it off the near boards by Sanheim to Bemstrom near the left corner. Driving toward the cage, Bemstrom fired a wrister that glanced off the sticks of Flyers defenseman Cam York and then Petersen before fluttering over Petersen’s right leg. It was the sixth goal of the season for Bemstrom, acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. Smith and defenseman Kris Letang had assists.
TWO POWER-PLAY GOALS FOR PITTSBURGH! ✌️
Welcome to the squad, Bemstrom! pic.twitter.com/YglRfhr9yx
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 25, 2024
The Flyers persisted and tied the game before the end of the second period.
Sanheim’s second goal of the contest came at the 16:33 mark.
After Flyers forward Sean Couturier beat Eller on a draw in the Penguins’ right circle, Sanheim stepped up from the near point and clobbered a one-timer by Jarry’s glove on the near side. The lone assist went to Couturier.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 26, 2024
The Flyers’ league-best 14th short-handed goal of the season tied the game again, 4-4, at the 17:36 mark.
From his own left corner, York banked a pass off the near boards to Laughton in front of the visiting bench. Hesitating for a moment, Laughton fed the puck to onrushing Flyers forward Noah Cates who burst into the Penguins’ zone like a comet. With Rakell the lone member of the power-play unit back to defend, Cates veered to the left of the cage, circumnavigated his way around and tried to tuck in a forehand shot, only to have it glance off the left leg of a breakdancing Jarry. As Eller and Karlsson overskated the sequence on backchecks, Laughton followed up on the rebound and fired the puck into a mostly vacant net. Cates and York had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 26, 2024
Penguins’ forward Drew O’Connor’s ninth goal 6:41 into the third period restored a lead, 5-4.
After Penguins rookie forward Valtteri Puustinen muscled Foerster off a puck on the boards near the Flyers’ right point, he chipped it up the boards to linemate Evgeni Malkin who then moved it to O’Connor low in the right circle. In one motion, O’Connor whacked a one-timer on the near side by the blocker of a hapless Petersen. Malkin and Puustinen claimed assists.
Drew O'Connor's season of career highs continues! ???? pic.twitter.com/lg2TmxMTTr
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 25, 2024
Rakell’s sixth goal of the season — and first in 15 games — made it a 6-4 score at 8:38 of the final frame.
Corralling a bank pass out of the right corner of the offensive zone, Crosby fended off Flyers defenseman Marc Staal behind Philadelphia’s net and then dished a backhand pass to the left of the cage for Rakell who elevated a forehand shot over Petersen’s right shoulder on the near side. Crosby and Pettersson claimed assists.
RAK ON ???? pic.twitter.com/E9nL4dw0eI
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 25, 2024
Rakell’s most recent goal came in a 4-1 road win against the Flyers on Jan. 8.
“Those are the types of goals that he’s capable of,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to need him here moving forward. He finds the back of the net tonight (and) I’m sure it will be a big relief for him, should be a boost of confidence for him. Hopefully, he can build on that moving forward.”
The Flyers persisted and made it a 6-5 deficit at 10:10 of the third via York’s seventh goal off assists from Lycksell and Foerster.
Surging into the offensive zone on the right wing, Lycksell pulled up on the near half wall and offloaded the puck to the high slot for York who scorched Jarry’s blocker with a sinister wrister.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 26, 2024
At 15:13 of the final period, Letang scored his seventh goal of the season which was the Penguins’ seventh goal of the day (and, most importantly to some, the “chili goal”).
From below the goal line and to the right of the cage, Rakell jabbed a loose puck to keep it free and banked it off the near boards. The puck caromed above the right circle where Letang walked up and stroked a one-timer that hit off the stick of Cates and bumbled its way by Petersen’s pockmarked blocker on the near side. There were no assists.
Points recap ????
Crosby 1G-4A
Rust 2G-1A
Rakell 1G-2A
Letang 1G-1A
Pettersson 2A
Bemstrom 1G
O'Connor 1G
Karlsson 1A
Smith 1A
Malkin 1A
Puustinen 1A pic.twitter.com/7Mn8JbaXFX— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 25, 2024
Foerster capped the scoring at 17:57 on a power-play sequence.
From deep on the left wing boards of the offensive zone, Laughton slipped a clever pass to the far side of the crease for Couturier who one-touched the puck to the left circle where Foerster jabbed in a forehand behind a scrambling Jarry. Couturier and Laughton had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 26, 2024
Jarry was diced up as he made only 15 saves on 21 shots, but his record improved to 16-17-4.
The Penguins improved their still faint playoff hopes with a win that was far from perfect. But given their position in the standings, they are not overly discriminate with how they get victories at the moment.
“It’s probably not the way we hoped to win,” O’Connor said. “But that’s a team we’re chasing and two points in regulation against them is huge. So, we’ll take them however we get them.”
They’d also like to get Rust back as soon as possible.
“(Rust), what he brings to this team and what he means to this team, it’s hard to put into words,” Sullivan said. “For me, he’s a Pittsburgh Penguin.”
Notes:
• Bemstrom became the 565th player to score a regular season goal for the franchise.
• In addition to his goal, Bemstrom logged 10:12 of ice time on 13 shifts and had three shots on four attempts.
• Bemstrom became the third player in franchise history to wear No. 52 in a game of consequence. His predecessors:
Rusty Fitzgerald, Mark Friedman.
• Rakell (96 points) surpassed forward Jason Zucker (95) for 99th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.
• Penguins forwards Matthew Phillips and Jesse Puljujarvi and rookie defenseman John Ludvig were healthy scratches.
• Flyers coach John Tortorella did not provide an update after the game for Drysdale. A former member of the Erie Otters, Drysdale missed the most of the 2022-23 season following surgery to repair a torn left labrum.
• In four games against the Penguins, Foerster has six points (four goals, two assists).
• Prior to the game, the Flyers recalled Lycksell from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League.
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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