The Penguins got exactly the kind of response they needed, and Dan Muse’s lineup shuffle paid off in a 5-2 win over the Kings.
Muse made a few notable changes before puck drop, moving Evgeni Malkin up to the top line with Sidney Crosby and sliding Tommy Novak down to the second line. On defense, Spencer Stastney returned to the top pair alongside Erik Karlsson, while Sam Girard dropped to the second unit next to Kaedan Korczak. The new look clicked right away.
Novak led the early charge with a pair of first-period goals at 1:52 and 5:10, giving Pittsburgh a quick 2-0 cushion. Los Angeles answered with a goal from 41-year-old Corey Perry in the middle of the period and started to take control territorially, but the Penguins got a huge boost late when Egor Chinakhov scored on the power play with 29 seconds left in the opening frame to restore the two-goal lead.
The Kings cut it to 3-2 just 3:07 into the second period on a power-play goal of their own, and the pressure kept building from there. Sergei Murashov settled things down in net, though, and Pittsburgh survived until the 17-minute mark, when Malkin blasted a shot from the top of the right circle that deflected off Crosby and slipped past Darcy Kuemper for the insurance goal.
Los Angeles kept pushing in the third, but Murashov held firm. Crosby then put the game away with an empty-netter at 18:44.
The final numbers leaned heavily toward the Kings. They controlled shot attempts 71-50, shots on goal 28-19, scoring chances 34-25 and high-danger chances 17-10. Pittsburgh, though, made its chances count and avoided the kind of costly mistakes that can swing a game the other way.
Muse’s tweaks worked, and the top names delivered. Malkin finished with three assists and third-star honors.
Novak’s two-goal night earned him second-star recognition. Crosby took first-star honors after moving past former Kings great Marcel Dionne and into sixth place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list.
He now trails fifth-place Ron Francis by about 25 points.
Kris Letang chipped in two assists and finished a game-best plus-3. Karlsson also had a strong night, including a sharp play that helped set up the fourth goal. He’s now averaging a point per game with 17 in 17.
Malkin’s production keeps jumping off the page at age 40. He has six goals and 14 points in 15 games. By comparison, Alex Ovechkin has one goal in the same number of games.
There was also a notable waiver storyline on the other side. Jack St. Ivany has collected five points, including one goal and four assists, in five games since being claimed by the Capitals.
Murashov’s night mattered, too. After a rough stretch, he bounced back by stopping 26 of 28 shots for a .929 save percentage.
Chinakhov also got a lift from his power-play goal, and Novak continues to produce despite earlier questions about the long extension he received. He now has seven goals and 14 points, and he’s made an impact wherever Muse has used him.
The Penguins, now 6-9-2, head to Anaheim to face the Ducks tonight. After that, they’re off until Wednesday night, when they meet the Sharks.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Rough Start Has Pushed One Roster Question To The Front
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For Pittsburgh, the timing matters because the club has been active in trade discussions for a while now, and that has made its roster one to watch around the league. Chicagos search adds another layer to the picture, since both teams are trying to adjust on the fly after difficult starts, and the overlap could create a market where a familiar Penguins forward becomes part of a much bigger conversation. [Read more 🡒]
WBS Penguins Suddenly Face A Familiar Problem After Streak Ends
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For a club that had started to build some momentum, the loss was a reminder of how quickly things can tighten up in the AHL. The Penguins were held off the board entirely, and the kind of offensive push that had fueled the recent run never really arrived, leaving them with a familiar challenge to sort out as they look to get back on track. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Youth Movement Is Starting A Roster Debate They Can't Ignore
The Penguins push to get younger is no longer just a long-term talking point. With several prospects turning heads in the AHL, the organization is being forced to weigh whether it should keep leaning on experience or start giving more NHL runway to the next wave. The idea is not without precedent, and the article points to past teams that tried similar roster shifts with mixed results, which is part of what makes this such a tricky call for a club trying to stay competitive while retooling.
Rutger McGroarty and Avery Hayes are among the forwards making the case from the minors, while Harrison Brunicke stands out on the blue line as the most promising defense prospect, even if he is currently sidelined. The broader issue is bigger than any one call-up, though, because a heavier reliance on young players brings obvious growing pains at a time when the draft lottery has changed how teams think about rebuilding. For the Penguins, the debate is no longer whether the youth movement is coming, but how much of it they can absorb at once. [Read more 🡒]