Penguins’ Bryan Rust loves giving doubters ‘big middle finger’ after sealing playoff berth

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Thursday to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They had low expectations coming into the season, but have charged late in the season to lock down the spot. Penguins forward Bryan Rust has been around since the Stanley Cup days and won’t forget the Penguins’ doubters where they stood before the season.

“I’ll be honest, it feels a little better given the outside exceptions all year. Giving everyone a big middle finger feels good,” Rust said, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic.

Few, if any, pundits predicted that the Penguins would make the playoffs this season. They had missed the dance in three consecutive seasons, fired Mike Sullivan for an unproven coach in Dan Muse, and did not have a massive offseason move. But the moves they made were incredible, and things have turned around.

Anthony Mantha and Ben Kindel are new members of the Penguins who have changed things for the offense. Mantha signed a one-year contract after playing just 13 games for the Calgary Flames a year ago. He has scored 31 goals on that contract, making it one of the best deals in the league. Kindel was the 12th overall pick in June and already has 34 points this season.

The Penguins are likely to be the home team in the Metropolitan Division matchup between the 2 and 3 seeds. Their opponent is likely to be the Philadelphia Flyers, but the New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets are still alive. Goaltending will be the question going into that series, as Stuart Skinner has struggled in the playoffs in the past.

But the Penguins have a not-so-secret weapon that makes them hard to beat in the playoffs. This could be Sidney Crosby’s last opportunity to vie for the Stanley Cup, so expect him to dominate once the puck drops.

The post Penguins’ Bryan Rust loves giving doubters ‘big middle finger’ after sealing playoff berth appeared first on ClutchPoints.