Game 36: Montreal Canadiens @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Penguins region: Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
Last night’s game in Montreal was expected to be a milestone celebration, and that’s precisely what was delivered. But instead of being a big night for the visiting Sidney Crosby, three Canadiens players had important moments. Owen Beck finally got a goal to stay on the board by getting a zone entry himself and scoring to erase any chance of an offside review. Even that achievement may have been lessened a bit by only having half a puck to show for it because on the same play Lane Hutson registered his 100th NHL point in just his 119th game. The game puck (despite initially being fired away by Hutson) went to Jacob Fowler for his first NHL shutout.
Fowler now has two wins at the NHL level, both against the Pittsburgh Penguins to single-handedly win that season series. However, for official purposes when it comes to playoff tie-breaking procedures, the first game in Pittsburgh wouldn’t count in the calculation, so this evening’s road game is still important in that head-to-head battle. One point would be enough to seal that result by a three points to two score and ensure Montreal finishes ahead should the two teams end the season tied on points.
That is looking less and less likely with each passing game for the Penguins. These recent losses to Montreal are just two of eight in a row they’ve suffered, and they’ve failed to even score a goal in the last two. Pittsburgh is now closer to being in last place in the Eastern Conference than a wild-card spot. There should be a sense of urgency for the Pens to turn things around, though they may just not have the roster to make a push up the standings.
Tale of the Tape
| Canadiens | Statistics | Penguins |
|---|---|---|
| 19-12-4 | Record | 14-11-9 |
| 48.5% (22nd) | Expected-goal share | 50.6% (15th) |
| 3.20 (8th) | Goals per game | 3.03 (15th) |
| 3.31 (24th) | Goals against per game | 3.09 (17th) |
| 26.3% (4th) | PP% | 29.5% (3rd) |
| 77.9% (24th) | PK% | 80.4% (18th) |
| 2-0-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 0-2-0 |
| Cole Caufield (17) | Most goals | Sidney Crosby (19) |
| Nick Suzuki (30) | Most assists | Erik Karlsson (22) |
| Nick Suzuki (40) | Most points | Sidney Crosby (35) |
It was great that the Canadiens were able to get the win despite Jake Evans, their shutdown centre who had been assigned the role of matching Crosby’s shifts, leaving the game early following a knee-on-knee collision, but they will be without Evans for at least the final two road games before Christmas, and potentially longer. It will be tougher going forward without Evans, and it’s an especially tough blow considering that he had just started to regain the form he had shown to start last season over the previous week or so. The timing of the Phillip Danault trade couldn’t have been better, even if he’s no longer a player who wants the defensive assignments Evans was tasked with.
The Habs will still have the jolt of energy that comes with a new player joining the lineup today because Sammy Blais is up from the AHL. Initially lost in the off-season when the Toronto Maple Leafs claimed him off waivers, he had been playing with the Laval Rocket since November 29, making his case for a recall with nine points in nine games played. He has already lost a place in the NHL this season after playing eight games for Toronto, and you know he will be working hard to stick around in Montreal.
Jakub Dobeš is the expected starter today versus what you have to think will be a more inspired Penguins team. A brief stumble got him lumped in with Samuel Montembeault when discussing the Canadiens’ goaltending issues this season, but he has recorded a save percentage of .900 or better in six of his last nine games, winning all six to run his personal record to 12-5-2. That would result in a 52-21-9 record and 113 points if applied to a full 82 games, which would probably be enough to win the Eastern Conference let alone claim a playoff berth. Today he would be going for personal win number 13, and the 20th of the season for Montreal.
