Although all eyes will be on Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals do battle on Friday night, the Pens could have a key player back in the lineup for the divisional clash.
Bryan Rust, who has missed the last five games with a lower-body injury, could make his return in the nation's capital, according to NHL.com's Wes Crosby.
“It's always a good feeling when you're able to kind of rejoin the team and get back into somewhat normal things,” Rust told reporters on Wednesday. “It's been a lot quicker than I expected. I wasn't as optimistic at first. … I think now they've done a really good job of getting me back into shape. Hopefully things keep going in the right direction.”
Although there was some optimism that Rust would play in Thursday night's defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes after taking part in an optional morning skate, he ended up being held out of the tilt.
Rust was injured in the third period of a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on October 26, “favoring his right leg after battling with forward Nils Hoglander along the boards,” per Crosby.
He was initially labeled week-to-week, but the recovery progressed more quickly than anticipated. And the Penguins could badly use the veteran back in the fold; Pittsburgh has lost two games in a row and eight of 10 dating back to October 18.
Penguins struggling mightily to stay relevant
Rust has chipped in three goals and four points in eight games this season; despite the modest point totals, he's a crucial part of Pittsburgh's lineup. The Penguins have gone 2-2-1 in the 32-year-old's absence, and are 5-8-2 overall.
The Pens were smoked 5-1 by the surging Canes on Thursday, and things don't get any easier against Ovechkin and the Caps in the second half of a back-to-back. Washington has been excellent to start the 2024-25 campaign, a polar opposite of Pittsburgh's first 15 games. The Capitals are 9-3-0 and third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Ovechkin has been a catalyst of the hot start; the Russian is up to eight goals and 16 points in just 12 games, and the team looks rejuvenated compared to last season.
The same can't be said of the Penguins, who continue to be carried by veterans Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson so far. The depth has just struggled to match up, and the goaltending has left something to be desired as well.
The front office is in a tricky spot; general manager Kyle Dubas is doing his best to balance trying to be competitive in the twilight of Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang's careers, while also attempting to prepare for the looming rebuild.
The Penguins might just not be good enough to make the playoffs as currently constructed. They've already missed back-to-back postseasons, and look well on their way to making it three consecutive.
It'll be interesting to see how the next couple of months go in Pennsylvania, but the return of Rust will be huge in the squad's attempts to turn things around.
Follow Us
Subscribe
