Bryan Rust isn’t the Pittsburgh Penguins’ most valuable player.
Chances are, his regular linemate, Sidney Crosby, will command that designation for as long as he wears the franchise’s logo on his chest.
But Rust sure is hard to replace if he is absent.
And the Penguins haven’t found any suitable substitutes for him for the past two games.
Such was the case Sunday as the Penguins were shut out by the Boston Bruins, 1-0, at TD Garden in Boston.
It was their second consecutive defeat, following a 2-1 home loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday. That setback snapped a season-best six-game winning streak.
Each loss happened with Rust scratched because of an undisclosed injury.
It isn’t accurate to say the Penguins’ losses this weekend were strictly because of Rust’s ailment. On Sunday, they were in the penalty box six times (whereas the Bruins were sent to the solarium of discipline on only two occasions).
But given that Rust does a lot of everything — operating as the right wing on the top line as well as the first power-play unit and on the penalty kill — his respite creates quite a void. Even after missing two games, he remains the team’s second-leading scorer with 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 40 contests.
“It needs to now be by committee anytime somebody comes out,” coach Dan Muse said Saturday at PPG Paints Arena. “There’s a guy who plays all situations for us. Just the work that he brings. Obviously, the offense, the defensive side, there’ s not a box he doesn’t check in his game.
“Injuries happen. Guys come out. It’s on everybody here to make up for it there by committee.”
Everybody in a Penguins jersey managed to fail in finding a goal Sunday as they were shut out for the fourth time this season. Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 27 saves to earn his first shutout of 2025-26 as well as the eighth of his career.
“Didn’t do enough,” Penguins forward Anthony Mantha said to reporters in Boston via audio provided by the team’s media relations department. “Clearly, we didn’t score a goal.”
His counterpart, Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner, was stout, stopping 17 of 18 shots as his record fell to 14-11-4.
The Bruins appeared to open the scoring 4 minutes, 57 seconds into regulation, but officials determined forward Sean Kuraly directed a puck into the net with his hand.
A valid goal was scored at the 11-minute mark of the first period by Bruins forward Viktor Arvidsson, his eighth of the season.
From the center point of the offensive zone, Bruins defenseman Henri Jokiharju smacked a one-timer, which Skinner saved despite a screen. Above the crease, Arvidsson fended off Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and kicked the rebound with his left skate to the left of the crease, then flicked a backhander off the near post and behind Skinner’s right skate. Jokiharju and forward Casey Mittelstadt had assists.
“It’s tough that that’s the goal that wins the game,” Skinner said. “But that happens.”
Notes: Penguins defenseman Connor Clifton returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the previous nine games. Clifton, who broke into the NHL with the Bruins in 2018, appeared in his 400th career game as he replaced defenseman Jack St. Ivany on the right side of the third pairing. … Penguins forward Kevin Hayes, a native of Dorchester, Mass., appeared in his 800th career game. … St. Ivany and forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard were healthy scratches. … Prior to the game, linesman Matt MacPherson was honored by both teams for working in his 1,000th career game.