Bryan Rust scores two beauties but can't saves the Penguins in shootout loss to Panthers

Matt Vensel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Mar 23, 2025

Published in Hockey

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Bryan Rust scored two highlight-reel goals Sunday against the Florida Panthers. But the Pittsburgh Penguins winger will be kicking himself after he was unable to tuck in one more.

The Penguins lost, 4-3, in a shootout at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., when a deke by Rust got Sergei Bobrovsky to drop, but Rust couldn’t lift his shot over the goalie’s pad.

That save won the game for the Panthers, who won the shootout by a 1-0 margin.

The Penguins had a spirited start against the reigning Stanley Cup champions. They shook off a Sam Reinhart goal and took the lead with two tallies by Rust in the first period. Both goals Rust scored on Panthers starter Bobrovsky were beauties.

His first came on the power play. Erik Karlsson fed Rust the puck at the bottom of the right circle. Rust made a nifty move in tight to beat Bobrovsky on his backhand.

Rust scored again with 34 seconds left in the first period to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead. It was one of the prettiest scoring plays for the Penguins all season. With one hand on his stick, he swatted a Sidney Crosby saucer pass into the top left corner.

Pittsburgh added to its lead in the second when Rust teed up a one-timer for Evgeni Malkin on the power play. He ripped a shot through Bobrovsky, his fellow Russian.

But for the second time in three games, the Penguins couldn’t hold a two-goal lead.

Reinhart’s second goal of the evening got the Panthers back within one. He weaved through a trio of Penguins defenders and beat Tristan Jarry for a power-play goal.

The Panthers were all over the Penguins in the third and tied it up, 3-3, with 5:31 left in regulation. Eetu Luostarinen threaded a no-look pass through the defense and Anton Lundell’s shanked shot got through Jarry, who was fooled by that changeup.

Around the boards

— Crosby had two more assists Sunday and is just two points away from locking in his 20th season of averaging a point per game, which will be the most in NHL history.

— Penguins coach Mike Sullivan tweaked his defensive pairs again heading into the game. Matt Grzelcyk skated on the top pair with Kris Letang. And Karlsson was next to newcomer and fellow righty Conor Timmins. Karlsson lined up on the left side.

— Sullivan also put Malkin back on the top power play. Malkin swapped spots with Kevin Hayes. He has been used on the second unit for much of the season.

— Ryan Shea participated in Sunday’s optional morning skate, a step forward in his path back to the lineup. He has now missed six games due to an upper-body injury.

— Wilkes-Barre won its final two games during the weekend. On Saturday, goalie prospect Sergei Murashov won his 10th-straight game to set the franchise’s mark for the longest winning streak in a rookie season. On Sunday, Sebastian Aho had three assists and Matt Nieto scored in another victory for the Baby Penguins.

Coming up next

The Penguins’ three-game trip will continue Tuesday at the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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