Mike Sullivan Makes a Bold Statement About Bryan Rust's Status with the Penguins
Photo credit: ESPN
After the final game of the year for the Penguins, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan issued a bold statement on forward Bryan Rust, who scored his 30th goal.
For the 3rd straight year, the Pittsburgh Penguins failed to achieve a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; it marks the longest drought of captain and future Hall of Fame forward Sidney Crosby's career.
However, there was a final game left in the year for Pittsburgh, and it came last night against Alex Ovechkin and the divisional foe Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena.
The Penguins won 5-2 thanks to a multi-point effort from Crosby along with the 30th goal from Bryan Rust, who already hit a new career-best in total goals.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who also coached Rust in the American Hockey League, admitted afterward that he didn't anticipate this kind of output from Rust earlier in his career.
When I was coaching Rusty in Wilkes-Barre, he was on our second line. He wasn't even on our power play. He was a penalty-kill, checking, energy guy in Wilkes-Barre.
I don't know that I've been around a player or coached a player whose offensive game has evolved and developed like his. He deserves so much credit for his passion for the game, his work ethic, to put the time in every day to develop his overall game. It's remarkable what he's done with his career.
Because he puts himself in harm's way a lot and that's what we admire about him, but he's just a terrific hockey player.
Rust finished the year with 65 points (31G, 34A); he's under contract through 2028 with an AAV (average annual value) of $5,125,000.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 18 | 220 ANSWERS Mike Sullivan Makes a Bold Statement About Bryan Rust's Status with the Penguins Is Bryan Rust the best bargain contract in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 175 | 79.5 % |
| No | 45 | 20.5 % |
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