\u2014 Oilersnation.com, Oily Since \u201807 (@OilersNation) December 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n In 32 games this season, Novak has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists), but the bulk of that has been accumulated in the past two-and-a-half weeks. In 10 games since Nov. 28, Novak has 10 points (four goals, six assists).<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s feeling good about his game right now, too,\u201d Penguins coach Dan Muse said. \u201cYou see the way he attacks with the puck through the middle of the ice. You might see (that) a little bit more when he\u2019s playing center than when he\u2019s playing wing. But that\u2019s been noticeable here when he has been in the middle. He\u2019s really poised when he has the puck. He can draw coverage to him, and he can find guys around him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s feeling good about his game, and it\u2019s shown.\u201d<\/p>\n Malkin, Lizotte, Hallander skate<\/p>\n Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin has missed the past six games due to an undisclosed injury. (AP)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Injured Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin, Blake Lizotte and Filip Hallander skated before Wednesday\u2019s practice.<\/p>\n According to Muse, the trio has had some on-ice work in recent days.<\/p>\n Malkin and Lizotte are on injured reserve because of undisclosed maladies and have been labeled as \u201cweek-to-week.\u201d As for Hallander, the rookie is also designated to injured reserve because of a blood clot in a leg and is not slated to be cleared for play until February at the earliest.<\/p>\n Koivunen scratched<\/p>\n In 21 games this season, Penguins rookie forward Ville Koivunen has three points (one goal, two assists). (Chaz Palla | TribLive)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Penguins rookie forward Ville Koivunen was a healthy scratch for Tuesday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n After showing some promise and production in the late stages of the 2024-25 season, Koivunen has largely struggled during the current campaign. Opening the season on the top line, he was eventually demoted to the third line (with an assignment to Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton mixed in.<\/p>\n Over 21 games this season, he has three points (one goal, two assists) while averaging 12 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time.<\/p>\n During Wednesday\u2019s practice, Koivunen largely operated as a reserve, mixing in on the third line.<\/p>\n \u201cIt goes back to consistency,\u201d Muse said before Tuesday\u2019s game. \u201cIf you go back over the last stretch of games, there\u2019s been some really good ones. I think it\u2019s just continuing to attack the game at both ends. It\u2019s the execution, holding on to pucks, moving the feet, but that\u2019s been there, too.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t a situation where it hasn\u2019t been there. It has. It\u2019s just kind of more consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n Lined up <\/p>\n The team\u2019s lines and pairings during Wednesday\u2019s practice were: <\/p>\n 67 Rickard Rakell \u2013 87 Sidney Crosby \u2013 17 Bryan Rust <\/p>\n 39 Anthony Mantha \u2013 18 Tommy Novak \u2013 16 Justin Brazeau <\/p>\n 2 Rutger McGroarty \u2013 81 Ben Kindel \u2013 13 Kevin Hayes\/41 Ville Koivunen <\/p>\n 19 Connor Dewar \u2013 43 Danton Heinen \u2013 55 Noel Acciari <\/p>\n 28 Parker Wotherspoon \u2013 65 Erik Karlsson <\/p>\n 5 Ryan Shea \u2013 58 Kris Letang <\/p>\n 77 Brett Kulak \u2013 3 Jack St. Ivany <\/p>\n 27 Ryan Graves \u2013 75 Connor Clifton <\/p>\n The top power-play unit included Crosby, Karlsson, Mantha, Rakell and Rust. The second power-play unit involved Brazeau, Hayes, Kindel, Letang and Novak. <\/p>\n Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n![\"9136339_web1_ap25302060901097-1\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9136339_web1_AP25302060901097-1-.jpg\"\/ "\\"9136339_web1_ap25302060901097-1\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"9136339_web1_ptr-koivunen-103125\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9136339_web1_ptr-Koivunen-103125.jpg\"\/ "\\"9136339_web1_ptr-koivunen-103125\\"")
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