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Penguins Locker Room: Ben Kindel Accelerating Growth; Dan Muse Beams
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- Penguins Locker Room: Ben Kindel Accelerating Growth; Dan Muse Beams
Penguins Locker Room: Ben Kindel Accelerating Growth; Dan Muse Beams
DETROIT — Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Muse surely enjoyed his team's preseason 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars. His first-round draft pick played out of his skates, a constant step ahead of the play. His defense actually defended. And the entirety of the traveling preseason roster, without most NHL regulars, played a structured, sound, high-pressure game to squelch Detroit.
The Penguins' persistent puck pressure took Detroit out of the game. It wasn't long before the Penguins dominated, allowing just seven harmless shots and no scoring chances in the second period.
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"They were working. They were above things. The stick detail I thought was really good," Muse said. "And then the guys were — just the puck movement. And I think especially in the second period, the puck support was really good, and I just think that when you start to have that kind of a connection, and there's predictability in our game, good things happen."
Muse's smile told the rest of the story.
Ville Koivunen
Koivunen's performance on Monday might get overlooked with the splashy emergence of 18-year-old Ben Kindel, but Koivunen also showcased that stealth playmaking ability that helped him register seven assists in eight NHL games last season.
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Koivunen has an uncanny ability to make what looks like a simple play, but it turns into something much larger. A quick pass, a quick step, and the entire play changes.
PHN asked Koivunen about playing with Kindel and what their line with Avery Hayes did well.
"I think it's two great players, how they play with the puck, and how they skate, or how they work — like how they hunt the pucks," Koivunen said. "It's fun to play with them. We played one game in the rookie camp, and it went well, so (we want) to keep continuing that, and we played good today, too."
Ben Kindel
The player of the hour. Kindel led all players with five shots, and you can get the full analysis in our postgame report card, but his line was a revelation.
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Read More: Penguins Report Card: Ben Kindel Shines, More Young Players Pushing
The Kindel line dominated the advanced analytics, scored a goal, and was impenetrable on defense. Kindel was the Penguins' first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, 11th overall, and he's quickly making a push for an NHL roster.
The post Penguins Locker Room: Ben Kindel Accelerating Growth; Dan Muse Beams appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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