The league is reportedly looking into a hit thrown by Bryan Rust at the end of the game against the Canucks. Vancouver-based broadcaster Rick Dhaliwal went as far to say that “the expectation is that supplement discipline will be coming”, which would include a fine or suspension.
Rust leveled Brock Boeser with a high hit in the game’s closing seconds in a play that went unpenalized during the action in the scramble for Vancouver’s attempt to find a buzzer beating tying goal.
The Canucks were not happy with the hit in their post-game.
Rust has 18 penalty minutes in 48 games this season, last season he had 18 PIMs in 71 games and has never recorded more than 31 PIMs in a season with a clean discipline record with the NHL.
Of course, you never know what the NHL’s supplemental discipline team will rule. Florida’s Brad Marchand received a two-minute penalty but no fine or suspension for a similar hit last month on Montreal’s Mike Matheson, and Marchand carries a much longer rap sheet for questionable plays. Then again, since Marchand was penalized on the play and Rust’s hit wasn’t addressed during the game that could open Rust up for some sort of action from the league in the form of discipline.
There was no update on Boeser’s status after he was helped off the ice at the conclusion of the game. The Penguins held on to win 3-2 for their fourth straight win, now they’ll be hanging on a bit longer to hear from the league about the status of one of their top line wingers for their next game at home against Buffalo on Thursday.
