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Penguins’ Muse Makes Big Changes: ‘Try Something New’
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- Penguins’ Muse Makes Big Changes: ‘Try Something New’
MONTREAL —Suffering through a seven-game winless streak has been a difficult, mentally taxing slog for the Pittsburgh Penguins . Coach Dan Muse has been tinkering with the lineup, but Saturday he appears ready to make significant changes.
The first swap will be moving Rickard Rakell to the second line center. The Penguins' middle six has been largely invisible since Evgeni Malkin suffered an upper-body injury seven games ago.
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After trying Kevin Hayes and Tommy Novak in the spot without much success, Muse will turn to Rakell in the middle of Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau .
"We saw (Rakell at center) a little bit there in training camp. So it was one of those times in training camp, where you can get a look at something, and it also gives the player a comfort level, too," Muse said. "With Rakell, he's been there before. Even sometimes playing wing, he'll end up down low. He's done it before. And I think for him, the ability to attack through the middle of the ice–I think it's something that comes natural for him."
Beyond Rakell, Muse will move Hayes to the fourth line center in place of Danton Heinen . Muse will also move Tommy Novak , who had genuine success beside Sidney Crosby in a several-game stint before Rakell's return from injury, back to Crosby's left wing.
In the cavalcade of changes, Muse reinstated Ville Koivunen back into the lineup on the "Kids Line" with Ben Kindel and Rutger McGroarty .
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After watching from the pressbox for a couple of games, Koivunen is ready to play.
"Really ready," he said.
On defense, Muse swapped his D pairs for the first time this season, breaking up Ryan Shea and Kris Letang . Muse put newly acquired Brett Kulak on Letang's left and paired Connor Clifton with Shea.
After a couple of games of pressbox nachos, Clifton has no pretext or grand illusions about what his job will be Saturday. He made clear in a conversation with Pittsburgh Hockey Now that he'll be cleaning the crease in front of goalie Stuart Skinner .
"(We need to) work a little harder on pucks, back check a little harder. Be a little better at killing plays in the D zone, helping our goalie in front," Clifton said. "I guess I'm referring last game, we could help both our goalies in front of the net. We've been losing the net from battles on both sides, so they're generating a lot, whoever we're playing is generating a lot near the net, so that's directly on the D, too."
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Kulak has not had a great start to his Penguins career, playing the last two games with defenseman Jack St. Ivany. However, Muse didn't necessarily build the defense changes on specifics or perfect combinations.
After seven winless games, some of which ended in unimaginable ways, Muse had a simple philosophy for some of the changes.
"Give it a different look. And a different feel," said Muse. "Yeah, we've lost a number of games here, and so–try something new. If it clicks and works, stick with it."
The post Penguins' Muse Makes Big Changes: 'Try Something New' appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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