NHL Youthful line jells early for Penguins

Rico Fata, Aleksey Morozov and Ryan Malone have become the best line so far.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- In 104 National Hockey League games, Rico Fata has 24 points. Compare that to Hall of Fame center Mario Lemieux's regular season total of 1,696.
But one look atop the list of Pittsburgh Penguins scoring leaders and there's Fata, tied with Lemieux at four points in four games.
"Rico's a big part and he's going to need to produce," Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk said. "When he gets the opportunity to take some of the pressure off Mario and Marty [Straka] up front and, if we can have another line go out there and create, its going to be important for us."
Productive line
Through the early part of the season, Fata, 23, has been teamed up on a unit with Aleksey Morozov and rookie Ryan Malone. So far, it has been the Penguins best line, with three goals and seven assists, one point ahead of the Lemieux-Straka-Konstantin Koltsov grouping.
"It's early to say anything, but I really enjoy playing with them both," Fata said. "Ryan played really well the other night against Detroit and Alex is Alex. He jumps at you from different angles, he fills the holes and he makes things happen."
At 26, Morozov would probably be considered the group's veteran, because he's skated on lines with Lemieux, Ron Francis and Jaromir Jagr, and dressed in nearly four times as many games as his linemates combined.
It's a mantle he's not quite prepared to accept.
"I just feel like we're all young guys," Morozov said. "I don't feel like we have a veteran or a rookie or something. All three guys just try to work with each other and work for each other."
Morozov may have played in 380 games, but he didn't really start coming into his own until last season when he notched 25 points in 27 games before suffering a broken wrist that required surgery and forced him out of the Penguins' final 55 games.
Season to remember
His best season to date was 2001-02 when he set career highs with 20 goals and 49 points.
"He needs to continue playing the way he has played, getting his nose dirty and going to the net and trying to make plays," Olczyk said. "He has to play with a little bit of a mean streak. That doesn't mean you have to hit anybody, just show no fear, take the puck to the net and he's done that."
As far as Malone, 23, is concerned, he's still getting his feet wet after playing in just his fourth game Saturday in the Penguins 4-3 win over the Red Wings. The Pittsburgh-area native notched a pair of assists, one on a rush that ended in Fata's short-handed goal against Dominik Hasek.
"Right now, it's a lot of our first years in the league, so you want to prove a point to whoever you're playing," Malone said.