Amanda Kessel Special Assistant to the President of Hockey Operations and GM | Pittsburgh Penguins
Amanda Kessel Special Assistant to the President of Hockey Operations and GM | Pittsburgh Penguins
Bryan Rust returned to the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their third game of the season, facing off against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Penguins fell short with a 4-2 loss. Rust had been sidelined due to a lower-body injury since late September. General Manager Kyle Dubas explained that caution was necessary, recalling Rust's previous struggles with injuries.
“He's continuing to push, and it makes it worse, and then we have to sit him for a good length of time. So, I would rather be more cautious now with Rusty,” Dubas said last week. “If you don't chain him down, he's going to play.”
Rust played alongside Sidney Crosby on his return and expressed mixed feelings about his performance after the game.
“My legs felt good,” he said. “I think kind of with and without the puck, just kind of reading plays offensively, I wasn't as sharp as I'd like to be."
The Penguins' first power-play opportunity saw Kris Letang score with a powerful shot.
“The forward hit something on the ice, he lost his edge, so that allowed me to walk in,” Letang commented.
Toronto responded strongly in the second period with goals from William Nylander and Matthew Knies. The Penguins struggled to capitalize on their power plays during this period.
“I thought we could have put more pucks on the net than we did (in general),” Head Coach Mike Sullivan remarked.
Mitch Marner extended Toronto's lead early in the third period before Rickard Rakell brought Pittsburgh closer with his first goal of the season. Evgeni Malkin achieved a career milestone by recording his 1,300th point but remained focused on team success over personal achievements.
“When you lost, it’s a little bit different," Malkin said. "I’m not looking to my points right now; I want the team to win."
Sullivan praised Malkin's achievement: “He's one of the greatest players of all time... It's quite a privilege to watch these two guys perform.”
Joel Blomqvist started as goaltender following his successful NHL debut against Detroit. Sullivan described Blomqvist’s performance as “solid.”
“He's pretty calm and composed," Sullivan noted about Blomqvist's demeanor.
The Penguins continue their early-season journey as they prepare for their next game in Montreal.
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