Rookies looking to make impact

Forwards Matt Hussey and Michel Ouellet are the latest additions to the roster.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The running joke in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is that Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Craig Patrick should switch teams with his minor-league affiliate.
While the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League were off to a 16-0-1 start heading into Wednesday night's game against Providence, the Pittsburgh Penguins languished in last place of the NHL's Atlantic Division.
Patrick has not called for a full-scale trading of rosters -- yet. But he has already summoned five players from Wilkes--Barre this season, including the additions of forwards Matt Hussey and Michel Ouellet on Tuesday.
Paying dividends
The moves paid immediate dividends, with Hussey and Ouellet playing prominent roles during Pittsburgh's 5-4 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
"They played well," center Sidney Crosby said. "They both are guys who can really shoot the puck, and if you give them the puck in scoring position, they'll create some opportunities and score some goals. They made some smart plays out there and did well."
It was the second time this year that Patrick recalled two players in one day with Pittsburgh struggling, leading to a victory in the first game. Erik Christensen and Ryan Whitney made their NHL debuts Nov. 1 in a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins had won only one of the season's first 11 games up to that point.
The Penguins had lost three of their previous four games before Tuesday's win.
Perfect fit
"They fit right in and have not been intimidated," veteran winger John LeClair said of the two newest additions. "I think everybody realizes it's not going well and when [roster shake-ups] happen, guys take a step back and reevaluate things a little bit. Hopefully that can shake some guys out of their funks here and we can put things together."
Hussey had played in three games with Pittsburgh during the 2003-04 season, posting two goals and an assist. He was immediately paired on a line with a Hall of Famer (Mario Lemieux) and a likely future Hall of Famer (Mark Recchi), two players who have a combined 1,153 career goals.
"You're always going to be nervous getting called up," said Hussey, who posted four shots and an even plus-minus rating Tuesday. "But to find out you are centering to Mario Lemieux and Mark Recchi, two great players ... But once I got out there, I felt comfortable skating."
Ouellet, who was a plus-one in 10:48 of ice time, was on a line with Lasse Pirjeta and John LeClair. "It's like a dream come true," Ouellet said. "But once you get out there and get going, I started to feel a lot more patient with the puck."
Early success
The Penguins, who played seven rookies Tuesday and have used nine so far this season, won four of their first six games after Christensen and Whitney joined the team and are hoping for a similar bounce with Ouelett and Hussey.
Ouellet, 23, was second in the AHL in points (29) and assists (19) and had the longest-active point streak in the league at 12. Hussey's 19 points were third on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who were near an AHL record as Wednesday's game began, hoping to becomes the first team in the league's 70-year history to earn at least a point in each of the season's first 18 games.
"They have been playing unbelievable down there," said Maxime Talbot, a rookie who has been with the team all season, like Crosby and Matt Murley. "I've seen what they can bring to a team and I know they will help."
Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk was not at practice for what the team said were personal reasons. His 10-year-old daughter had been hospitalized earlier in the month.
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