THE MATCHUP
Martin St-Louis’ group enters the matchup with some momentum after a 3-2 shootout win over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, marking their third victory in four games. Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach found the back of the net for the home side, while Troy Terry scored twice for Anaheim to force the skills competition. In the shootout, Laine and Cole Caufield converted on the Habs’ first two attempts, while Samuel Montembeault held it down at the other end to seal the deal for Montreal. Don’t look now, but the Canadiens are only five points out of the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. That said, with Habs still occupying the basement of the Atlantic Division standings, there’s still plenty of ground to cover and their work continues on Thursday.
The grass isn’t much greener on the Penguins’ side. Pittsburgh has just one more win than the Canadiens this season and rank second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division. The Pens’ struggles have originated from the back, as Mike Sullivan’s troops have allowed the most goals (116) and possess the worst goal differential (-30) in the NHL so far this year. Montreal will look to exploit Pittsburgh’s shaky defense in their quest to continue climbing back into playoff contention.
SEASON SERIES
Oct. 14 vs. PIT: 6-3 PIT
Nov. 2 @ PIT: 3-1 PIT
Dec. 12 vs. PIT:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
Patrik Laine. Need we say more? For starters, the 26-year-old forward has breathed new life into his team, factoring on each of its three wins since making his Canadiens debut on Dec. 3. With three power play goals to date, the Finnish forward became just the sixth player in the last 30 years to score three times in their first four games as a Hab.
Each of Laine’s markers have come with an assist from Lane Hutson, who continues to dazzle the hockey world—and for good reason. With points in seven consecutive games, Hutson now owns the franchise record for the longest point streak by a rookie defenseman. As well, with 21 career assists, the 20-year-old joins an exclusive list of just eight rookie defensemen who have reached that mark in under 30 NHL games (in the history of the League!).
For the visitors, let’s not overthink this one: it’s Sidney Crosby. The Penguins’ captain scored twice against Montreal in their previous meeting and has points in five of his last six games against the Canadiens. Crosby leads the Pens with 27 points on the season.
BY THE NUMBERS: PENS-HABS
Here’s how the Penguins and Canadiens match up by the numbers:
