Versatility enables Bryan Rust to fill variety of roles for Penguins
Second-line right wing, first-line left wing, third-line checker, fourth-line “energy guy.”
The only constant about Bryan Rust's role with the Penguins this season? He has made better players of all the centers he has flanked.
Rust was back on Sidney Crosby's wing for practice Monday, another of coach Mike Sullivan's tweaks to his forward lines. Whether that remains locked in through Tuesday's game in Brooklyn isn't certain. But the statistics suggest wherever Rust ends up, he brings value.
“He's got a ton of speed. He plays at both ends of the ice really hard, and he's good in the corners,” Crosby said, “but he works hard to get back and block shots and helps defensively, too.
“His all-around game is just really solid, and he can play that way regardless of who he is playing with.”
According to naturalstattrick.com, each of the Penguins' four primary centers enjoys a significant boost by having Rust on his line. Crosby's shot-attempt percentage this season is 57.3 with Rust, and 54.5 without him.
For Evgeni Malkin, playing with Rust has meant a 53.7 even-strength shot percentage compared to 51.7 otherwise. Riley Sheahan is 52.9 with Rust and 48.6 without. And then there's new acquisition Derick Brassard, who has benefited most by centering Rust: a jump of 23.4 percentage points from playing without Rust (42.5) to with him (65.9).
“He can play both wings and is a really good two-way player who has really good offensive instincts,” said Jake Guentzel, the third member of the top line in practice Monday. “So I think you can see how he can play with anyone and make them better.”
Some 39 months since he made his NHL debut and a little more than two years since he established himself as a regular with the Penguins, Rust has 45 goals in 217 NHL games counting the postseason. Yet shy of his 26th birthday, Rust has played roles as varied as a scoring wing for Malkin or Crosby to a bottom-six grinder next to the likes of Matt Cullen and Greg McKegg.
“That does kind of give me a sense of pride knowing that coach does have that confidence in me to kind of bounce me around the lineup and just play in all situations,” Rust said. “I like the challenge of bouncing from line to line. I think it's one of my skills: my ability to adapt to my linemates whether I am playing the right wing or the left wing or whatever center I am playing with.
“It doesn't really matter to me. I just try to go out there and accomplish the same things.”
Rust didn't argue with the assertion that he's playing the best regular-season hockey of his career. Since returning to the lineup Jan. 23 after missing a month with an upper-body injury, Rust has eight goals, 10 assists and a plus-14 rating in 21 games. He scored in each of his past two games after missing a week because of a concussion.
Even after scoring only four goals before the New Year, Rust is having a career season, be it by conventional statistics (already a career high in points with 36) or more advanced metrics (his 55.7 shot-attempt percentage is more than 4 points better than his previous career average).
“We play him on the right side. We play him on the left side. He brings a lot of speed to whatever line he is on,” Sullivan said. “He has the ability to finish, and he's a pretty responsible player at both ends of the rink, so he brings a lot. He's one of the more versatile players on our team.”
Staff writer Jonathan Bombulie contributed. Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.
