The fourth-line players scored third-period goals to help Pittsburgh beat Atlanta 4-1 on Friday night.
``Maybe he wants to move up to the second line or something,'' Donovan said of McKenna. ``Maybe get some more power-play time.''
McKenna gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead at 2:41 of the third, scoring off a give-and-go play with Donovan. McKenna has three goals this season, all in the last seven games.
``And they've all been big ones,'' coach Rick Kehoe said.
McKenna even offered to trade sticks with high-scoring Alexei Kovalev after Kovalev hit the post three times in the first period.
``He wants to give me his stick after the second period,'' Kovalev said. ``I didn't want it, and then he goes out and scores with it. Another bad decision by me.''
Donovan, claimed off waivers from Atlanta late last season, scored an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Pittsburgh star Mario Lemieux ended a two-game scoring drought with two assists, putting him five shy of 1,000 for his career, and increasing his season points total to 66.
Martin Straka and Dick Tarnstrom also scored to help the Penguins win for the fifth time in seven games after going 0-9-0-1 in their previous 10.
``We don't even think about that streak anymore,'' Kehoe said. ``It happens during the course of a season where a team has spells like that. It's just a matter of getting through them.''
Jean-Sebastien Aubin made 23 saves for the Penguins, who lost to Atlanta for the first time in franchise history on Monday night after a 14-0 start.
Marc Savard scored Atlanta's lone goal, his first since Oct. 22 when he was with Calgary.
``It was obvious that we were a team that played last night with late travel and they were sitting here waiting on us,'' said Don Waddell, Atlanta's general manager and interim coach. ``In the third period, it was tied 1-1 and they had a jump on us. We were kind of gasping for air out there.''
NOTES: Lemieux has 17 points in nine games against Atlanta. ... The Thrashers are 2-3 under Waddell. ... The Penguins are 8-0 at Philips Arena. ... The Thrashers' 15th-ranked penalty kill hasn't allowed more than one power-play goal in any of the past 18 games.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/1/185969