Your point isn't applicable, this isn't a static play where paint is going to tell the story in a photo.
Forsling would have met up with the puck if not for Rust. It is not like Rust had a semi breakaway here, he caused the contact, and Forsling was going where the puck was going to be. It's clear as day Rust cut into Forsling.
Clear as day to you, maybe. Not to 2 others who shared my view.
We agree that Rust has him inevitably beat with speed if there's no contact, right? I don't think that's within debate at least, unless we're taking crazy pills.
Rust has every right to take a direct path to the puck without being impeded by a slower skating player.
He does just that. It happens to be a fairly big diagonal at the speed he's going and his starting position. Forsling is in the way of this path.
Naturally, contact occurs.
Why would Rust purposefully slow himself down by taking contact when he has the player beat? That makes no sense. That only lowers his chances of reaching the puck first.
The problem is he can't beat Forsling out wide and get to the puck first, in his (correct) estimation. He takes a direct line, which he's allowed to do.
The contact is on Forsling for being too slow and skating in a line that blocks Rust. If Rust never touched him and he continued in that exact line at that speed, he would have skated past the puck in the middle of the ice. But no, he is prioritizing dealing with Rust, evidenced by him turning his head to the right towards him. He knows he can't keep up.
And when Rust later gets body positioning because of his speed, Forsling grabbed him with both hands (I SS'd this). That's a penalty, even if the original interference wasn't called.
We don't have to agree. It's fine. I just wanted to fully explain my view.