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Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES \u2014 A couple of tweaks, an addition, and some help from social media. As the Pittsburgh Penguins room deals with the growing chatter of impending trades, or at least general manager Kyle Dubas\u2019s<\/a> desire for them, coach Dan Muse has kept toiling. <\/p>\n Saturday, Muse did something that his predecessor was loathe to do by uniting Sidney Crosby<\/a> and Evgeni Malkin<\/a> on the same line, officially. Former coach Mike Sullivan would unite them from time to time late in periods or as a reset during games, but it has been quite a while since they were written onto the same line before the game.<\/p>\n Prior to Saturday\u2019s win over the LA Kings, the Penguins had flat-out stunk. The coach turned to Crosby and Malkin for several reasons, and part of Muse\u2019s reasoning was a mental refresher. <\/p>\n \u201cIt plays a role. I think we\u2019re always looking at things. I mean, sometimes it\u2019s you\u2019re just trying to generate a little more. Sometimes, you\u2019re trying to spread things out. Sometimes it\u2019s just mixing it up a little bit to give it a little bit of a different feel,\u201d said Muse. \u201cSo those things are always being looked at from game to game, so it was something we wanted to look at going into the day.\u201d<\/p>\n Malkin had three assists. Crosby had two goals, though their overall 5v5 performance was only OK. It started slow and got better through the game, but the Penguins\u2019 best line from the drop and throughout the game was the newly formed second line. <\/p>\n Tommy Novak <\/a>submitted his best game of the season as part of the new second line with Ben Kindel<\/a> and Egor Chinakhov<\/a>. It doesn\u2019t hurt the cause that Chinakhov seems to be breaking out of his early-season malaise, and the line was exceptional. At one point later in the second period, the line had more shot attempts and scoring chances than the other three lines<\/a> combined.<\/p>\n Saturday morning, PHN talked with Novak about his role on the line and how he saw it unfolding. <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, we\u2019re excited. Obviously, we\u2019re looking for wins. We\u2019re looking for things to change up,\u201d Novak told PHN. \u201cI\u2019ve played with Chinakhov a lot. You know how he plays, and Ben and I play together a decent amount too. And yeah, I\u2019m excited. Two great players, and Ben and I will both play a little bit of center, so it could be good that way.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know (if I\u2019ll be the playmaker). I think all three of us can make plays and finish too. So I think we\u2019ll have to just work as a unit and support each other best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Novak finished a pair of rebounds at the net front Saturday. <\/p>\n Sergei Murashov<\/p>\n The Penguins goalie was recently the subject of quite a bit of fan angst. After all, Murashov does come with some hype but had only one win in his first 10 NHL starts. A few recent rough games that were in part his doing and in part spectacularly shoddy defending in front of him fed some fears that he wasn\u2019t ready for the big show. <\/p>\n Murashov quieted his mind and quieted those fears with a stellar win Saturday in which he stopped 26 of 28 but did so with a quiet presence. He was not swimming in the crease or lunging. Murashov was square to pucks and held his technique, even as LA generally dominated the net-front battle. <\/p>\n However, after the game, Murashov veered off the topic of his performance to use the assembled media to send a message to a goalie he\u2019s never met: Devin Cooley of the Calgary Flames. <\/p>\n Like Murashov, Cooley can veer off topic and deliver some intense and introspective insights. Recently, the Calgary goalie has discussed the mental challenges of being the one position that is individually responsible. Depression and anxiety can be unwanted companions behind the mask. <\/p>\n Murashov isn\u2019t big on social media but wanted to use the assembled media to send a message to Cooley. <\/p>\n \u201cBut one thing, I want to pass a media message to Devin Cooley. I saw he was really popular recently, and like most of the goalies is going through something like he\u2019s talking about, but not a lot actually speaks aloud,\u201d Murashov said. \u201cSo, just thank you to him for what he\u2019s saying, and it helps. It genuinely just helped me a little bit too. So, but again, (the win) is not the key to the universe. There is a lot of work ahead, and just keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n Given both\u2019s penchant for answers and discussions far deeper than their peers past and present, one could only imagine the conversation when they meet. It would not be for the superficial. <\/p>\n Evgeni Malkin<\/p>\n Malkin notched three assists Saturday and, in doing so, passed another Hockey Hall of Fame member on the all-time points list. Malkin passed Adam Oates for 20th all time (1421). Next on Malkin\u2019s progression is a name familiar to Penguins fans: Bryan Trottier<\/a> at 1925. <\/p>\n Malkin could pass the next two as well. Teemu Selanne at 1457 is 18th, and Stan Mikita is 17th with 1467 points. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/poster.jpg\")
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