Game 4: Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Start time: 7:30 PM EDT / 4:30 PM PDT
In the Canadiens region: RDS (French)
Streaming: ESPN+ (USA), Prime Video (CAN)
Fans were hoping for a good beginning to the season as the Montreal Canadiens try to make the playoffs after several years of losing. Thanks to a 4-1 win on Saturday night, the Habs are off to a 2-1 start, and have a winning record versus Atlantic Division opponents, which they’ve exclusively played so far.
Montreal has done this without playing its best game, which should be seen as encouraging. For the past few years, any minor drop in their effort level would lead to multiple goals against and be enough to spoil an otherwise solid 60 minutes of hockey. The team now has enough skill to earn two points on off nights, and Saturday’s win over an Ottawa Senators team that outplayed them is evidence of that shift.
It was still the best game they’ve played so far this year, as they’ve needed the opening few matches to ramp up to game speed after their pre-season plans went awry with injuries. They have scored four goals in each of their past two games and seen their shots against descend from 48 to 29, to 25 versus Ottawa despite defending a multi-goal lead after the 15-minute mark. Things are coming together for the second-youngest team in the NHL quickly as everyone settles into the campaign.
The league’s second-oldest squad is the Bell Centre’s visitor this evening. The Pittsburgh Penguins once again decided to leave their aging core together this off-season, signing Sidney Crosby to a two-year contract extension that kicks in next year. They’re trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22, finishing fifth in the Metropolitan Division the last two years.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Penguins |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1-0 | Record | 1-2-0 |
| 39.6% (28th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 49.6% (17th) |
| 3.00 (13th) | Goals per game | 2.67 (18th) |
| 2.33 (8th) | Goals against per game | 4.33 (29th) |
| 20.0% (17th) | PP% | 22.2% (14th) |
| 92.3% (8th) | PK% | 90.0% (11th) |
| 0-1-2 | Head-to-Head Record (23-24) | 3-0-0 |
That playoff quest isn’t off to the greatest start for the club. Their win on Thursday over the Detroit Red Wings was sandwiched between a 6-0 shutout by the New York Rangers in their first game and a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They rank as one of the league’s worst defensive teams, surrendering 4.33 goals against per game, and that’s despite a penalty kill currently operating at 90%. There is plenty of time to turn things around, but you’d expect a better start for a team running out of chances to play for the Stanley Cup.
The core players most aware of that closing window are doing their part. Sidney Crosby has three points through three games, showing no ill effects from turning 38 in the off-season. Evgeni Malkin has already hit the milestones of 800 assists and 1300 points this season with four helpers to his name. Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson have combined for five points from the back end as well.
One issue, as it often has been in Pittsburgh, is that Letang, Karlsson, and fellow defenceman Marcus Pettersson sit tied for second in team goal-scoring, with one. The club has dealt with forward depth issues for many years, and new general manager Kyle Dubas isn’t exactly famous for his ability to insulate a group of superstars with championship-calibre support. The GM was able to win the Rutger McGroarty sweepstakes and acquire him from the Winnipeg Jets, but that’s the only off-season move that can be called significant, and McGroarty is currently averaging 11 minutes per game with a total of two shots.
Montreal is trying to prevent that situation from unfolding around their stars, and there are several reasons to believe that won’t become the case. It starts on the blue line with several young players already in key roles, and more leading the way in the AHL. That defence is already figuring out how to lower the chances for the opponent, while Pittsburgh’s defence has allowed no fewer than 32 shots in any of the three games so far. At forward, Oliver Kapanen and Emil Heineman have provided key elements to the bottom six outside of just hard work and physicality that often features in those spots, and the play of Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson so far is creating an effective third line, which wasn’t a guarantee going into the season. That doesn’t even include Joshua Roy, who is playing in Laval, or Patrik Laine, who is no doubt impatiently waiting to get involved.
The Canadiens should be approaching every game versus Eastern Conference opponents as a four-point contest for playoff spots. The Penguins have been involved in the wild-card race until the last day of the season the past two years, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll escape that fate with this roster. A post-season place could come down to the head-to-head battle between these teams, so this is an important season series even if it will conclude in mid-December.
