Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust will not play in Saturday’s home-opening contest against the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG Paints Arena.

Coach Mike Sullivan indicated Rust still is being evaluated for an undisclosed ailment. According to the NHL’s media web site, Rust is listed as being on injured reserve.

Rust was injured during Thursday’s 5-4 overtime road loss to the Florida Panthers when he was on the receiving end of a violent check from Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

In two games this season, Rust has one assist.

Entering Saturday, Rust is the Penguins’ current “iron man” having played a team-best 104 consecutive games, including playoffs. The team’s second-longest such streak is owned by defenseman Kris Letang (54 games).

Notes:

• Forward Zach Aston-Reese appears set to return to the lineup for the first time since he was placed in isolation after testing positive for covid-19 during the preseason.

During Saturday’s morning skate, Aston-Reese skated on the team’s third line.

Sullivan labeled him as a “game-time decision.”

• Defenseman Mike Matheson will not play Saturday. He participated in the morning skate but in a reserve role on the “fourth” pairing. He has been sidelined through the first two games of the season with an undisclosed injury.

• Forward Sidney Crosby skated Friday, during an off-day for the team, as well as Saturday, before the team’s morning skate. He remains sidelined as he recovers from offseason surgery on his left wrist.

• The team’s lines and pairings today were:

59 Jake Guentzel – 77 Jeff Carter – 43 Danton Heinen

16 Jason Zucker – 9 Evan Rodrigues – 42 Kasperi Kapanen

12 Zach Aston-Reese – 53 Teddy Blueger – 23 Brock McGinn

10 Drew O’Connor – 11 Brian Boyle – 49 Dominik Simon

8 Brian Dumoulin – 58 Kris Letang

28 Marcus Pettersson – 6 John Marino

52 Mark Friedman – 2 Chad Ruhwedel

• Goaltender Tristan Jarry is expected to be in net. During the team’s season-opening 6-2 road win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, Jarry made 26 saves on 28 shots.

• Having played on Friday in a 4-3 overtime road loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Blackhawks did not have a morning skate. Their primary lines and pairings on Friday were:

12 Alex DeBrincat – 90 Tyler Johnson – 88 Patrick Kane

8 Dominik Kubalik – 19 Jonathan Toews – 23 Philipp Kurashev

13 Henrik Borgstrom – 77 Kirby Dach – 38 Brandon Hagel

16 Jujhar Khaira – 58 MacKenzie Entwistle – 11 Adam Gaudette

44 Calvin de Haan – 4 Seth Jones

6 Jake McCabe – 5 Connor Murphy

61 Riley Stillman – 32 Erik Gustafsson

• Former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is scheduled to start in net for Chicago. In his Blackhawks debut, a 4-2 road loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, Fleury made 32 saves on 36 shots.

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