It wasn't that long ago when the Pittsburgh Penguins were reeling from a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 22.

It was the Penguins' second loss in a row and their fifth in their last six games, leading many fans to question whether the 8-2-2 start in October was just a mirage. Yes, the Penguins got a point in that game against the Kraken, but they let another third-period lead slip away before losing in overtime. They dominated the entire overtime, only for Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour to win the game on the Kraken's first OT shot.

After the game, Muse was visibly irritated and called out his team, saying that the results that weekend weren't good enough. The Penguins lost 5-0 to the Minnesota Wild the night before. 

"We have a weekend here where we get one of four points. That's not good enough," Muse told reporters. 

It was the first time that Muse really called out his team and sent the players a message, saying that the recent play wasn't good enough. He saw what the team was capable of in October when the Penguins went 8-2-2 and thinks this team has what it takes to make the playoffs. 

Since Muse called out the players, they have responded in a big way, winning four of their last five games, including Thursday's wild 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

They beat the Buffalo Sabres in the annual Thanksgiving Eve game on Nov. 26 before coming back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 28. The Penguins had almost nothing through two periods of that game against the Jackets until they woke up in the third, scoring two goals before Kris Letang won it in overtime.

Yes, there was a setback against the Toronto Maple Leafs the next night, but that had more to do with goaltender Arturs Silovs not being sharp. The rest of the game snowballed from there. After that loss, the Penguins won their next two against the Philadelphia Flyers and Lightning, and will go for three in a row against the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Penguins Notebook: Lines Changed, Injured Players In The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> took to the ice for practice in Dallas on Saturday, and it appears that two players may be poised for a return to the lineup <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars">when they face the Stars</a> on Sunday.

Throughout this stretch, goaltender Tristan Jarry has been exceptional, posting a .925 save percentage or better in three of his last four starts. He's been one of the biggest reasons why the Penguins are off to such a great start this year.

Sidney Crosby had another vintage performance against the Flyers on Monday, with two goals, and Evgeni Malkin followed that performance up with two goals against the Lightning on Thursday. The stars are playing as they should, the depth is stepping up (even with some regulars still hurt), the special teams have been great, and Jarry continues to make timely saves when the team needs them. 

Muse may only be in his first season as the Penguins' head coach, but make no mistake: he has a strong pulse on his team.

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