The Montreal Canadiens get a second crack at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Halloween night at the Bell Centre, and this one comes with a little unfinished business attached.
These two already met once this season, and Montreal knows exactly how that one got away. The Canadiens fell into a 5-1 hole in the second game of the year, clawed all the way back, and still ended up losing in overtime after an odd-man rush created by a bad line change. This time, the Habs will be looking to clean it up.
Montreal comes in riding a four-game winning streak, while Pittsburgh has dropped to 3-5-2 in its last 10 and sits 14th in the Eastern Conference. Even so, the Penguins have had the Canadiens’ number lately, winning eight of the last 10 meetings between the clubs, including the last two.
The goaltending picture for Pittsburgh is a mixed one. Arturs Silovs is 2-0-0 against Montreal, though his numbers in those games are far from pretty: a 3.79 GAA and a .840 SV.
Sergei Murashov, meanwhile, is a different case entirely. The 22-year-old has only nine NHL games on his résumé and has never faced the Canadiens.
On the Montreal side, Chris Kreider leads the way in scoring against Dan Muse’s team with 40 points in 48 games. Captain Nick Suzuki is next at 17 points in 19 games, but he remains out of the lineup.
Josh Anderson follows with 12 points in 30 games. Mike Matheson, who has 11 points in 23 games against the Penguins, may also be unavailable after missing Thursday night’s game with a mysterious lower-body injury; the expectation is that he probably won’t play, since he needed further evaluation.
There’s still no update on Samuel Montembeault and Ivan Demidov. Montembeault should already be back based on the original timeline, while Demidov is getting close to a return.
For Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby remains the Canadiens’ biggest problem, with 73 points in 56 games against them. Evgeny Malkin is right behind him with 67 points in 53 games, followed by Erik Karlsson with 46 points in 56 games and Kris Letang with 43 points in 51 games.
The Penguins are also dealing with injuries of their own, with Bryan Rusk, Elmer Soderblom, and Trevor van Riemsdyk all sidelined.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, with TVA Sports carrying the game in French and Sportsnet airing it in English. Kendrick Nicholson and Pierre Lambert will be the referees, while Andrew Smith and Jeremy Faucher will work the lines.
And if you’re headed to the Bell Centre, the message is simple: dress up. It’s Halloween, after all, and that’s the only way to do it in the Mecca of hockey.
In Other News...
Brendan Gallagher Is Suddenly Under Pressure Montreal Fans Never Expected
Brendan Gallaghers start with Vancouver has been a jolt for anyone who expected the veteran winger to settle quickly into a familiar role. The 34-year-old arrived in June and instead has found himself fighting for every shift, with his usage shrinking and his place in the lineup suddenly becoming a topic of debate among fans who are used to seeing him as a dependable presence.
The frustration has spilled into calls for the Canucks to make a bigger move with him, whether that means a trip to the press box or something more drastic. Gallagher, for his part, is not entertaining retirement and says he still wants to prove he can help this team, but the early-season uncertainty around his role has made this a far more uncomfortable story than anyone around the club likely anticipated. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Dachs Late Scratch Puts Canadiens Fans On Edge Again
Illness forced another lineup shuffle for the Canadiens, and Kirby Dach was the latest regular to get pulled from the mix just before game time. Montreal had to adjust on the fly, with Owen Beck stepping into the fourth-line role as the club tried to keep its forward group intact during a stretch where every available body matters.
The good news for the Canadiens is that Dachs absence is not expected to linger, with a return on the horizon as soon as Tuesday against the Jets. For a team already managing the usual wear and tear of the season, even a short-term scratch can feel like a reminder of how quickly the depth chart can change, especially when the margins are this thin. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Loom In Dylan Larkin Trade Drama
Dylan Larkins situation has quickly become one of the most watched trade stories around the league, and Montreal has now been mentioned as a possible late entry into the mix. The Red Wings captain has removed himself from the lineup while he pursues a move out of Detroit, and several teams have already been tied to the discussions, including Minnesota, Washington, New Jersey and Carolina.
For the Canadiens, the intrigue is obvious because a player of Larkins caliber would reshape the conversation around their roster in a hurry. The idea gaining traction is that Montreal could help move the process along if it becomes part of the trade picture, but for now it remains only speculation. The situation is still fluid, and the next step depends on how the market develops from here. [Read more 🡒]