Game 35: Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Penguins region: Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
The Pittsburgh Penguins were doing alright when the Canadiens faced them for the first time this season. They had just dropped a couple of games in shootouts, but those were versus the Dallas Stars (currently second in the Central Division) and Anaheim Ducks (second in the Pacific), which were still good results. Montreal got the better of the Penguins on December 11, and Pittsburgh hasn’t won a game since. Going back to those two shootout losses, they’ve now failed to earn a two-point result in seven games, going 0-3-4 in that span.
It’s not just the losses that have become a concern, but the way the Penguins have lost. They had scored early in the third period to take a 5-1 lead on the San Jose Sharks two nights after hosting the Canadiens; San Jose scored five unanswered goals to take that game in overtime. The 3-0 lead they carried into the third period versus the Utah Mammoth the next night became a 4-3 deficit, and ultimately another overtime loss. The past two results have been a loss to the Edmonton Oilers in a battle of trade counterparts Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry, and a shutout loss at the hands of the Ottawa Senators two night ago. Starting with the loss to Montreal, they’ve given up at least four goals in five consecutive games.
Given the current state of the Eastern Conference where there may only be two actual Stanley Cup contenders this season (the Carolina Hurricanes and the revived Florida Panthers), that losing streak hasn’t dropped the Penguins out of the race. They’re still just two points out of a wild-card spot with a game in hand.
Tale of the Tape
| Canadiens | Statistics | Penguins |
|---|---|---|
| 18-12-4 | Record | 14-10-9 |
| 49.0% (19th) | Expected-goal share | 50.1% (15th) |
| 3.18 (9th) | Goals per game | 3.12 (12th) |
| 3.41 (29th) | Goals against per game | 3.06 (17th) |
| 25.5% (6th) | PP% | 30.4% (3rd) |
| 77.3% (25th) | PK% | 81.2% (15th) |
| 1-0-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 0-1-0 |
| Cole Caufield (17) | Most goals | Sidney Crosby (19) |
| Nick Suzuki (29) | Most assists | Erik Karlsson (22) |
| Nick Suzuki (39) | Most points | Sidney Crosby (35) |
This could turn out to be a big season series in the playoff race, and it concludes with its second and third games played back-to-back. The home-and-home set will begin with the Canadiens’ final match at the Bell Centre in 2025 and will determine if they finish the first half of the season with a home mark above or below an even record. It’s currently at a disappointing 9-9-1, but the team would feel better about accumulating 10 wins from the first half of their home slate than 10 regulation losses.
An energized Zachary Bolduc will give them a good shot at making that happen. Juraj Slafkovský has been working well with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen on the second line, and more involvement like the two goals Bolduc scored on Thursday will help Nick Suzuki’s trio remain effective.
The Canadiens made a move in an attempt to stabilize their play by repatriating Phillip Danault, bringing a veteran presence to what had become a very young forward group. That’s sure to help the team address some of its issues, and just in time for the holiday road trip, but he won’t be in tonight’s lineup, and likely not Sunday’s in Pittsburgh either. For one more weekend, the Habs will have to get by with the roster they have, but they’ve already claimed one win versus Pittsburgh, and have enough talent to seal the season series with a second one tonight.
As we’ve seen, the real test comes on defence, and you never know what type of performance you’re going to get from Montreal. The general rule seems to be that they can limit the offence of top-heavy teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Edmonton Oilers, but struggle more with teams that go for quality of depth and structure over top-end talent. Fortunately, with Evgeni Malkin out, the Penguins are currently in the former group, with only Sidney Crosby as a truly dangerous player to look out for. Just a few days ago the Habs prevented Leon Draisaitl from hitting 1000 career points in Montreal. The milestone they will attempt to delay this evening is Crosby tying Mario Lemieux for the Penguins’ franchise mark of 1723 points.
