Penguins at Canadiens Preview: Take This Show On The Road
The Penguins head to Montreal for their first away game of 2022-23.
The first road game of the year comes via a one-off in Montreal on Monday. The Pens roll into Bell Centre 2-0 after defeating the Coyotes and Lightning at home to kick off the new season.
Sid’s Smashing 17th Season Start
Sidney Crosby takes to the ice for just the third time this season tonight vs. the Canadiens and already has scored six points in just two games played. Crosby leads the league in scoring along with the Ranger's Artemi Panarin. Sid was also named the NHL’s #1 Star Of The Week on Monday afternoon.
Pens Are Atop The League After Two Games
In just two games played this year the Penguins are already leading the NHL in goals scored at 12, in goals per game at 6, and in overall goal differential at +8.
Game Info:
Pens Game #3: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Montreal Canadiens
Date: October 17, 2022
Time: 7 PM (ET)
Place: Montreal, Quebec
Venue: Bell Centre
Broadcasts: Local- ATTSN, National- ESPN+
Social Media Hashtags #: #Pens #LetsGoPens #GoHabsGo
Team Matchup:
[2021-22 Team Performances]
Records- PIT: 46-25-11, MTL: 22-49-11
Standings- PIT: 12th, MTL: 32rd
Points- PIT: 103, MTL: 55
Goals For- PIT: 269 (11th), MTL: 218 (27th)
Goals Against- PIT: 222 (28th), MTL: 317 (1st)
Shots/GP- PIT: 34.7 (6th), MTL: 29.8 (23)
PP% Rank- PIT: 19th (20.2%), MTL: 31st (13.7%)
PK% Rank- PIT: 3rd (84.4%), MTL: 27th (75.6%)
‘21/22 Season Series- 2-1 PIT
‘21/22 Series Goals For- PIT: 14, MTL: 8
Player Matchup:
[Stat Leaders By Team Comparisons]
-2021-22 Penguins Series Leaders vs. Canadiens-
Points: Sidney Crosby- 6.
Goals: Teddy Blueger, Sidney Crosby- 2.
Assists: Sidney Crosby- 4.
Shots: Sidney Crosby- 14.
Hits: Jeff Carter, Brock McGinn, Marcus Pettersson- 7.
Blocks: Brian Dumoulin- 9.
-2021-22 Canadiens Series Leaders vs. Penguins-
Points: Josh Anderson/Jonathan Drouin/Christian Dvorak, 2.
Goals: Josh Anderson/Jonathan Drouin, 2.
Assists: Christian Dvorak, 2.
Shots: Josh Anderson, 10.
Hits: David Savard, 14.
Blocks: David Savard, 5.
Goalie Matchup:
Projected starting goalies-
-Casey DeSmith- #1
[Pittsburgh Penguins]
Bio Info: 6' 0", 181 lbs. DOB: 8/13/1991 (31). From: Rochester, NH.
Drafted: Undrafted. Experience: 5th Season.
Current Stats: Season Debut
2021-22 Stats: 11-6-5, 2.79 GAA, .914 SV%, 3 SOs
Career vs. MTL: 1-1-1, 2.95 GAA, .911 SV%
🆚
-Sam Montembeault- #35
[Montreal Canadiens]
Bio Info: 6’ 3”, 199 lbs. DOB: 10/30/1996 (25). From: Becancour, QC.
Drafted: 2015- Rd 3, Pk 77 (FLA). Experience: 4th Season.
Current Stats: 0-1-0, 3.08 GAA, .897 SV%
2021-22 Stats: 8-18-6, 3.77 GAA, .891 SV%, 1 SO
Career vs. PIT: 0-0-0, 3.00 GAA, .917 SV%
Pens Update:
Casey DeSmith will get his first start of the season tonight in Montreal after Tristan Jarry took the net for the opening two games of the year.
-Injury Report-
Teddy Blueger is still the only man missing for the Penguins. He’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not travel with the team to Montreal.
-Penguins Lines-
The projected Pens lines for Monday, October 17, 2022, vs. the Montreal Canadiens:
(Forwards)
Jake Guentzel - Sidney Crosby - Rickard Rakell
Jason Zucker - Evgeni Malkin - Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen - Jeff Carter - Kasperi Kapanen
Brock McGinn - Ryan Poehling - Josh Archibald
(Defense)
Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson - Jeff Petry
P.O. Joseph - Jan Rutta
(Special Teams)
PP1: Crosby, Guentzel, Rust, Malkin, Letang
PP2: Carter, Rakell, Heinen, Zucker, Petry
PK1: Poehling, McGinn, Dumoulin, Rutta
PK2: Kapanen, Archibald, Pettersson, Joseph
Canadiens Update:
Montreal’s number one goalie Jake Allen is unable to play tonight due to family leave. The Habs’ backup Sam Montembeault will get the nod instead. He's never made a recorded career start vs. the Penguins.
Ex-Pen Mike Matheson will not be playing for Montreal vs. his former team for this first outing since the trade that sent him north. He’s out for at least eight weeks with an abdominal muscle strain.
Ex-Habs will fill the Pens roster, however. Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling will both return to play the Canadiens for the first time as part of the black and gold. Montreal natives Kris Letang and Pierre-Olivier Joseph will skate in their usual spots for the Pens as well. Joseph is making his NHL debut in his hometown.
The Pens will get their first look at 2022 first-overall draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky tonight for the Canadiens. The 18-year-old true rookie hasn’t had much impact on ice yet being 0-0-0 in three games played with a -1 and only one shot. He’s been thrown into the deep end of the NHL and is still struggling to acclimate. That issue won’t get any easier facing the Penguins on Monday.
-Off-Season Changes-
Key players added: Forwards- Kirby Dach, Sean Monahan, Evgenii Dadonov, Rem Pitlick, Mitchell Stephens. Defensemen- Mike Matheson (from the Penguins), Johnathan Kovacevic.
Key players lost: Forwards- Ryan Poehling (to the Penguins), Cedric Paquette, Tyler Pitlick. Defensemen- Jeff Petry (to the Penguins), Alexander Romanov.
-Injury Report-
The Canadiens have numerous key players sidelined on injured reserve right now, including two key defensemen. Mike Matheson (D) remains out as mentioned above. Fellow D-man Joel Edmundson is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Joel Armia (RW) is also on IR indefinitely with an upper-body injury. Emil Heineman (LW) is out for six weeks with a thumb injury.
For The Penguins: Sidney Crosby. Sid Crosby. Sidney Patrick Crosby. Mr. Crosby if you're nasty- all of them...him! At age 35 the man has six points in two games played to start the season. He's racked up two goals, including the season opener for the first time in his career, and four assists while registering a 22.2% shooting percentage. It's a monster performance to begin the year and in only two outings at that.
