LOS ANGELES -- Southern California represents a big change for Rob Scuderi. "I think Pittsburgh was the farthest west I'd ever been for any amount of time," the former Penguins defenseman said this week.

But Southern California has not changed him as a hockey player.

"I'm always going to be a guy that makes safe and simple plays with the puck. That's the only reason I'm in this league and the only reason I'll stay in this league," said Scuderi, who signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings in July.

The defenseman brought more than just his shutdown style to Los Angeles. At 30 and with his name newly etched on the Stanley Cup, Scuderi added experience and knowledge to a Kings lineup that reminds him of the Penguins around 2006-07, when they were young and hungry and starting to develop into something good.

"We have a lot of young players. I'm hoping we don't have too many bumps along the way," he said. "It's kind of weird being on the other side of it. Four or five years ago, you were always asking questions of the older guys. Now I'm on the other side of it. Guys started asking me questions right away."

Center Evgeni Malkin is the only Penguins player not skating. Coach Dan Bylsma said Malkin's recovery from a shoulder strain is "progressing in rehab, and the important part is the rest part of it," Bylsma said.

Defenseman Sergei Gonchar, meanwhile, said he will have his cast removed and an X-ray taken on his broken left wrist after the road trip.

"If everything is fine there, we're going to start thinking about doing more in practice, maybe shooting more," Gonchar said.

Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson are friends dating to their teen years when they were teammates at Shattuck, a Minnesota prep school, in 2002-03. They were drafted two slots apart in 2005, Crosby first overall, Johnson third.

Because they play in opposite conferences and due to Johnson breaking into the league more slowly and Crosby missing a big chunk of games in 2008 because of a high ankle sprain, the two had played against each other just once in the NHL before last night.

That was March 20, when Crosby had a goal and an assist and Johnson no points and a plus-minus rating of minus-2 in a 4-1 Penguins win at Mellon Arena.

Crosby said the two have kept in touch.

"It's great to see he's having a nice year," Crosby said of Johnson, who entered the game with a goal and three assists.

"Text messaging is great for [keeping in touch]. We drop each other a text once in a while, see how things are going, maybe look at a highlight."

The Kings' Scuderi isn't the only player who was with the Penguins for some or all of last season who has faced his old team already this season.

Through just the first 16 games, the Penguins have played against Scuderi, Hal Gill (Montreal), Petr Sykora (Minnesota), Darryl Sydor (St. Louis), Mathieu Garon (Columbus), Ryan Whitney (Anaheim) and Paul Bissonette (Phoenix).

"We played against that many of them?" goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said, thinking back to short reunions with some of them.

Some got their Stanley Cup rings when they met the Penguins this season.

"It seems like every game we play we're seeing a familiar face," Crosby said. "It's good to catch up with guys and see them. As long as they're happy and doing well, that's the important thing."

The Penguins came away impressed after having dinner Wednesday night at the palatial Beverly Hills home of team co-owner Ron Burkle. "I wouldn't want to say it was better than the White House, but it was pretty darned close," center Jordan Staal said. ... The Penguins would like to provide their players and staff with H1N1 flu vaccines but, like everyone else, are waiting until the supply reaches the non-critical population. ... Staal on the team spending nearly a week in California: "We got out a little [Wednesday], just kind of walked on the beach and checked out the scenery."

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