Bryan Rust is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins’ preseason finale against Buffalo, adding uncertainty to the forward group before Wednesday’s regular-season opener in Philadelphia.
Rust was not scheduled to practise Sunday. Fellow forward Tristan Broz was also being evaluated, for a lower-body injury, and was to miss the session as well. No return date for Rust had been announced in the available update.
The 34-year-old winger exited Saturday’s 3–1 victory during the second period. Pittsburgh announced during the game that he would not return, and coach Dan Muse said afterward that Rust was undergoing evaluation.
Rust finished with 8:04 of ice time and an assist. His work behind the Buffalo net helped create Ville Koivunen’s first-period goal, which gave the Penguins a 2–0 lead after Sidney Crosby had opened the scoring.
He began the game on a line with Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre. The group produced an early goal, but Rust’s departure prevented the Penguins from keeping that combination intact through their final exhibition.
Pittsburgh completed the preseason with a 2–2 record, recording both wins against Buffalo. Arturs Silovs stopped 23 of 24 shots Saturday, and Nick Robertson added an empty-net goal after the Sabres had cut the deficit in the third period.
The victory did not settle the team’s remaining availability questions. Ben Kindel, Blake Lizotte and Justin Brazeau were already among the forwards dealing with injuries during camp, giving the coaching staff several cases to assess before opening night.
Rust contributed 65 points in 72 regular-season appearances last season. His absence would remove an experienced scoring option from a forward group that has been testing combinations throughout the shortened preseason schedule.
Broz played 10:07 against Buffalo and did not register a shot. Sunday’s update identified his injury as lower body but did not establish whether he would be available for the start of the regular season.
The Penguins face the Flyers on Wednesday. Rust’s evaluation and the status of the other injured forwards remain part of the roster decisions to be resolved before that game.
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This page is an original Sporting Page summary. The reporting remains with Markerzone / Penguins PR update.
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