Game 39: Canadiens at Penguins

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The red-hot Canadiens (25-11-2) are in Pittsburgh on Saturday to close out their five game road trip against the Penguins (24-9-5). The game starts at 7:00 and airs on TVA and City.

This is the second of three meetings between the Habs and Pens this season, and the only one in Pittsburgh. The season series wraps up in Montreal next Saturday. Beau Bennett had a goal and two assists and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves to power the Pens to a 4-0 shut out victory over the Canadiens the last time these teams met.

What to Watch

Michael Bournival had to wait until the 38th game on the Habs schedule (his eighth of the season) to score his first goal of the year, but didn't wait nearly as long to pot his second, earning his first career multi-goal game in the NHL on Friday despite playing less than ten minutes.

PK Subban had three assists on Friday, inching him closer to Max Pacioretty for the points lead in Montreal. Pacioretty is still on top with 29, but Subban is right behind him with 26 points in 38 games.

Sidney Crosby earned four assists in Pittsburgh's 6-3 win over the Lightning on Friday giving him 42 points in 35 games on the season. New acquisition David Perron should be in uniform Saturday night for the Pens. Perron had five goals and 19 points in 38 games for the Oilers this season.

What's at Stake

With their win in New Jersey on Friday, the Canadiens moved into a tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for top spot in the Atlantic Division. Now they have a chance to leapfrog the Penguins for top spot in the conference. A win in Pittsburgh would also give the Habs a perfect road trip, extend their winning streak to six games and keep them undefeated in 2015. No pressure.

Who's Out

P.A. Parenteau was knocked out of Friday's game in New Jersey when he took a hit to the head from Tim Sestito, and may not be ready to play on Saturday.

The Penguins currently have seven players on injured reserve: Blake Comeau (wrist), Pascal Dupuis (blood clot), Patric Hornqvist (lower body), Olli Maatta (upper body), Paul Martin, Zach Sill (upper body), and Scott Wilson.

What Else

The Habs are in the midst of a five-game win streak, the longest current streak in the NHL. What's more impressive is that the Habs have won four of those five on the road, with a chance to close out a perfect road trip by beating the Eastern-leading Penguins. With an 8-1-0 record in their last nine games, the Habs have surged up the standings after a rough start in December, moving them into a tie for fifth place with the Chicago Blackhawks for the best points percentage in the league.

The Question Mark

The Canadiens have plenty of options on defense, but Michel Therrien has had trouble pleasing Habs fans recently. How would you set up the Montreal's three defensive pairings with what the Habs have available?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Penguins.

Posted in: Beau Bennett,david perron,marc-andre fleury,max pacioretty,Michaël Bournival,p.a. parenteau,p.k subban,Sidney Crosby