The Penguins have found something that works with their second line configuration.
The combination of Evgeni Malkin, Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov has now played five games together on the second line, and Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Flames was their best work yet, each adding a goal in the win.
The line was one that was initially formed partly due to necessity — Malkin was shifted to wing to ease his transition back from his shoulder injury, requiring a new center be bumped up to center since Malkin’s usual linemates Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau had zero center experience between them. After the first couple of centers tried didn’t find much success, though Chinakhov’s elevation to the opposite wing in the meantime saw him find immediate chemistry with Malkin. After Novak was given a shot as the center on that line, the trio started to produce in their second game together and their chemistry as a line has continued to grow.
If the NHL had tertiary assists, Novak would have earned one on the Penguins’ opening goal tonight. Malkin won a board battle behind the Calgary net and got it to Novak to his right. Novak made a bank pass off the boards to Jack St. Ivany, who passed it to his defense partner Ryan Shea. Malkin redirected Shea’s shot past Dustin Wolf:
All three factored in on the Penguins’ second goal. Malkin gained the zone and found Novak with a cross-ice pass, who then quickly fed it to Chinakhov in the slot, allowing Chinakhov to unleash his latest insane shot:
Chinakhov’s shot — specifically his quick release — was touted as one of his bigger strengths when he was acquired, and it was somehow still undersold. His wrist shot might be the best in the league.
“I think every one of us wished we had that shot,” Bryan Rust said. “It’s incredible. And the way he skates, and then the way he gets you the puck, I think he’s going to continue to build and continue to get more confidence, and they’re just going to get more chemistry and score goals.”
Novak said that he’s “never seen anything like” Chinakhov’s release.
“It’s pretty crazy just watching it come off,” he said. “Try to get him the puck in scoring areas, for sure.”
The Flames broke Skinner’s shutotut bid off a flukey bounce late in the second period — Zach Whitecloud’s shot hit the torso of Yegor Sharangovich and deflected in with 2.7 seconds left in the frame — but Rust regained the two-goal lead with a wraparound to open the third.
Novak extended the lead midway through the period off the rush, lifting a backhand shot past Wolf to finish:
“It was a good outlet pass,” Novak said. “I tried to look for offense on the three-on-one and didn’t see much, so I just took it to my backhand.”
Novak attributed the line’s success in the win to “skating and pressuring pucks and getting pucks back, and everyone just kind of working hard and making plays off the rush.”
Dan Muse was encouraged by the line “generating different ways,” and that all three members of the line were part of that.
“It’s obviously all three guys scoring a goal, but I thought all three guys were involved in other chances,” he said. “I thought there was some good defensive tracks coming back into the zone.”
It’s not unique to this game. Since the line has been together, they’ve outscored opponents 5-1, responsible for 46.2% of the team’s total five-on-five goals in those five games. They’ve outshot opponents by a total margin of 28-22 as a line.
Given how well the second line was playing to start the season when Malkin was centering Brazeau and Mantha, it would have been hard to imagine willingly breaking that line up. But as well as this trio has been playing in their short time together, the Penguins might have found something better if they can keep building on this.