Penguins vs. Canadiens, Game 67: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Pittsburgh Penguins have, in general, fared pretty well against teams below them in the overall standings this season.

They have, for example, swept their season series against the likes of Arizona, Anaheim, St. Louis and Chicago, and are a combined 5-0 against Metropolitan Division bottom-feeders Columbus and Philadelphia.

Montreal, which will visit PPG Paints Arena Tuesday at 7:08 p.m., is a glaring exception.

The Penguins have faced the Canadiens twice, both at the Bell Centre, and lost both in overtime.

Montreal beat them, 3-2, Oct. 17 and 5-4 Nov. 12.

Kirby Dach got the game-winner in the first one and Mike Hoffman scored it in the second.

Those early-season results notwithstanding, the Penguins should have more than a few factors working in their favor as they close out a five-game homestand this evening.

They had a day off Monday, while Montreal was absorbing an 8-4 loss to Colorado at the Bell Centre, dropping the Canadiens to 0-5-2 in their past seven games. It is their worst stretch of the season and includes losses in their past three away games.

The Penguins, conversely, are 7-1-1 in their past nine.

What’s more, despite their two overtime losses in the fall, the Penguins are 10-3-3 in their past 16 games against Montreal, including 6-3 at PPG Paints Arena.

While the Penguins hold the first wild-card position in the Eastern Conference playoff field and are trying to secure a postseason berth for the 17th season in a row, Montreal is in the midst of a rebuild.

The Canadiens have settled into next-to-last place in the East and are competing for nothing more than their place in the draft lottery.

All of that aside, if the Penguins look past Montreal and to the two games against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden that will follow, they will do so at their peril.

That point should have been made by their trips to the Bell Centre a few months ago.

Expected Pittsburgh Penguins Lines

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust

Zucker-Malkin-Nylander

O’Connor-Granlund-Rakell

Heinen-Carter-Archibald

Defense

Pettersson-Letang

Dumoulin-Petry

Joseph-Rutta

Goalie

Jarry

Expected Montreal Canadiens Lines

Pitlick-Suzuki-Gurianov

Hoffman-Drouin-Anderson

Harvey-Pinard-Tierney-Ylonen

Pezzetta-Belzile-Richard

Defense

Matheson-Kovacevic

Guhle-Savard

Edmundson-Wideman

Goalie

Montembeault

Special Teams

Penguins power play: 49 for 229, 21.4%, 17th in NHL

Penguins penalty-kill: 43 for 212, 79.7%, 14th in NHL (tied)

Canadiens power play: 32 for 199, 16.1%, 30th in NHL

Canadiens penalty-kill: 60 for 221, 72.9%, 30th in NHL (tied)

Pittsburgh Penguins Game Notes

Sidney Crosby needs two points to be assured of averaging at least one point per game for the 17th time in his career. Wayne Gretzky holds the NHL record, 18.

Jason Zucker has goals in four consecutive games, two shy of his personal-best.

Danton Heinen’s next game will be his 400th in the NHL, making him the 21st member of the 2014 draft class to reach that milestone.

Kris Letang is tied for the league lead with three overtime game-winning goals this season.

Evgeni Malkin has at least one point in 10 of his past 11 games at PPG Paints Arena. He also scored three of the Penguins’ six goals in their first two games against the Canadiens.

Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson, acquired from the Penguins last summer, has six goals and 14 assists in 33 games. He also has a plus-minus rating of plus-6, the only positive rating among his team’s top 14 scorers.

Montreal center Nick Suzuki has scored on five of six shootout attempts. Two of those have been game-deciders.

Canadiens defenseman David Savard does not have a goal in 30 career games against the Penguins.

Montreal has won five games when trailing at the second intermission.

The Canadiens are 8-8-2 against Metropolitan Division opponents.

How to Watch

TV: AT&T SportsNet

Radio: 105.9 the X