Following a shutout loss to Detroit two days ago, the Canadiens continue on their road trip tonight with a match up against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.
The Habs are currently 1-1-0 against Pittsburgh this season, and Montreal’s defensive players will have their hands full tonight against the Penguins. The weight will be shouldered heavily on forwards like Tomas Plekanec, Philip Danault and Torrey Mitchell to stifle the Penguins. As well, all the defensive pairings will have to be on point, as the Penguins have star players on nearly every unit. Carey Price hasn’t looked himself as of late, but he was fantastic against the Wings and will look to get back to his winning ways tonight.
Pittsburgh is currently sitting at 4th in the Eastern Conference, one point back of Montreal, and are recently coming off a 8-7 thriller against the Washington Capitals. As you know, their roster is chock-full of stars, and they’ve all been effective all season long. Sidney Crosby currently holds the NHL goal scoring lead with 27 goals on the year, Evgeni Malkin had a hat trick in their last game, and Phil Kessel has done exactly what the Penguins want from him, scoring 42 points in 43 games this season.
The Penguins aren’t without their flaws however, as top defenceman Kris Letang has gone down once again with an injury, and will not be available tonight. Their goaltending carousel continues as Matt Murray gets the start tonight. The situation in the Penguins crease gets increasingly interesting with the up coming trade deadline & expansion draft at the end of the season.
How to watch
Puck drop: 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PST
In Canada (check your listings): SN1, SNO, SNE, SNP (English), RDS (French)
In the Penguins region: ROOT
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/NHL Gamecenter Live, NHL Center Ice
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lines
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Max Pacioretty | Alex Galchenyuk | Alexander Radulov |
| Paul Byron | Phillip Danault | Andrew Shaw |
| Artturi Lehkonen | Tomas Plekanec | Sven Andrighetto |
| Jacob De La Rose | Torrey Mitchell | Brian Flynn |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Alexei Emelin | Shea Weber |
| Nathan Beaulieu | Jeff Petry |
| Mark Barberio | Zach Redmond |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Carey Price |
| Al Montoya |
Injuries: Injuries: David Desharnais (knee), Greg Pateryn (fractured ankle), Andrei Markov(lower-body)
Scratches: Daniel Carr, Ryan Johnston
Pittsburgh Penguins Projected Lines
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Conor Sheary | Sidney Crosby | Bryan Rust |
| Jake Guentzel | Evgeni Malkin | Patric Hornqvist |
| Carl Hagelin | Nick Bonino | Phil Kessel |
| Chris Kunitz | Eric Fehr | Tom Kühnhackl |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Olli Maatta | Trevor Daley |
| Ian Cole | Justin Schultz |
| David Warsofsky | Chad Ruhwedel |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Matt Murray |
| Marc-Andre Fleury |
Injuries: Kris Letang (lower body), Brian Dumoulin (jaw), Matt Cullen (foot)
Scratches: Scott Wilson
