PIT@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL – Following an exciting win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, the Canadiens will be looking to get their fans back on their feet when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Bell Centre on Monday.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:

MONDAY NIGHT HOCKEY ON PRIME

Habs games officially enter the streaming era on Thanksgiving Monday with the debut of Prime Monday Night Hockey in Canada, featuring a marquee Pittsburgh-Montreal matchup.

Beginning this season, Prime Video is the exclusive English-language broadcaster of all national Monday night NHL games in Canada. For Canadiens fans watching in English across the country, that means five games which will only be on the streaming video service.

Fans at the Bell Centre meanwhile can see the Prime Monday Night Hockey desk and broadcasters live, located in Section M2 of the arena. The inaugural game on Oct. 14 will feature special guest Geoff Molson joining Adnan Virk, Mark Messier and Blake Bolden at the desk during first intermission. The game will also feature a 45-minute pregame show, live from Section M2 as of 7:00 p.m.

MERCREDIS METAL! MONDAYS

Any rumors about METAL!’s apparent retirement were put to rest by the team’s unofficial mascot’s roadie this morning.

Speculation began once the Club shared this on their social platforms on Oct. 9:

But have no fear: METAL! isn't going anywhere. He revealed he would in fact be back at Canadiens games as an alumnus for the return of the wildly popular Mercredis METAL! Mondays series for the balance of the season, starting tonight. Fans can expect the atmosphere cranked up to 11 when he returns to rock the Bell Centre with his trademark energy and special performances that are appreciated by 100% of those in attendance every Monday and Wednesday game; also returning are the free (permanent) in-game METAL!-themed tattoos that will be inked on a first-come, first-served basis by DFA Tattoos.

TEAM COMPARISONS

Cole Caufield scored twice, Emil Heineman notched his first NHL goal and Alex Newhook completed the scoring as the Canadiens beat the Senators 4-1 at the Bell Centre on Saturday. Samuel Montembeault put up a near perfect performance, conceding only one goal on 25 shots. The team is off to a good start this season with two wins in three games, and players have found their groove early on. Since the start of the season, Caufield has been riding a three-game goal streak after finding the back of the net four times and his linemate Juraj Slafkovsky has collected three points (3A). Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Lane Hutson continues to impress with four assists.

The Habs’ opponents are coming into town after dropping a 4-2 decision against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. The Penguins, who hold a record of 1-2-0 since the start of the season, will wrap up a three-game road trip in Montreal. Despite the loss, Mike Sullivan’s men were able to celebrate an important milestone for Evgeni Malkin, as the Russian center notched his 1,300th career NHL point. Malkin is only one of two active players to have completed this feat, the other being Washington Capitals winger Alexander Ovechkin. In total, 37 players have scored this many points in NHL history (active and non-active). The veteran forward also registered his 800th helper last Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.

MORNING SKATE

The Canadiens will hit the ice in preparation for Monday night’s tilt with the Pens. Head coach Martin St-Louis is expected to address the media following the morning skate at the Bell Centre. Subscribe to or follow the team on YouTube, Facebook and X (@CanadiensMTL) to catch St-Louis' press conference, and keep on eye on the Canadiens social accounts for any potential lineup news.