Rust pots pair, Pens stay perfect at home

P I TTSBURGH» Bryan Rust scored two goals and added an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins remained unbeaten at home with a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.

Brandon Tanev, Jake Guentzel, Zach Aston-Reese and Sidney Crosby also scored for Pittsburgh while Tristan Jarry made 28 saves and assisted on Aston-Reese's score as the Penguins beat the rusty Capitals for the third time in three meetings this season.

Nicklas Backstrom collected his 250th career goal for Washington andJakubVranaandEvgenyKuznetsov also scored, but the Capitals couldn't rally back while playing for the first time in a week thanks a series of COVID-19-related postponements.

Vitek Vanecek finished with 32 stops but Washington — finally at full strength after three-plus weeks of COVID-19 roster disruptions — remained winless this month (0-4).

Kuznetsov showcased the firepower of the NHL's top-ranked power play when he knuckled one by Jarry just 5:18 into the first, but the Penguins — who have grown comfortable playing from behind — recovered when Rust and Tanev beat Vanecek 32 seconds apart later in the first period to give Pittsburgh the lead.

Rust later ended an 0-for-20 power-play drought when he took a pretty feed from Kris Letang and stuffed it short side past Vanecek 6:44 into the second period to put Pittsburgh up 3-2.

Guentzel then flicked a rebound by Vanecek just past the game's midway point to give the Penguins their first two-goal lead in a regular-season game since March 10, 2020.

Aston-Reese sent a long heave into the empty net with 1:03 to go for his second score in two games since returning from shoulder surgery last week.

Crosby followed with his own empty-netter 15 seconds later to give the Penguins just their second regulation victory on the season.

The Italian government on Sunday abruptly delayed opening Italy’s beloved ski season because a coronavirus variant was detected in a good portion of recently infected persons in the country.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza’s ordinance forbidding amateur skiing at least until March 5 effectively kills the hopes of ski lift operators and resort owners that they would be able to salvage part of the season.

The ski business is a big source of winter tourism in Italy and the news came on the eve of the expected opening.

A ministry statement noted that analyses of virus samples indicated that a variant first found in Britain is sickening 17.8% of recently infected people in Italy.

France and Germany have adopted similar measures the statement said.

The ski industry swiftly lamented that they have repeatedly prepared slopes and lifts, only to have been denied permission to open, including just before the year-end holidays.