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Allen Will Start | PREVIEW: MTL @ PIT

Sam Gerber
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Allen Will Start | PREVIEW: MTL @ PIT

GAME DAY PREVIEW | Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Preview, TV, Start Time, Statistical Match-up, Projected Lines, Starting Goalies, Keys to Victory, Habs Tickets

Game Preview 

A Look Back

There are no positives to take from Friday night’s game. The Habs are at an all time low and the effort was simply not there once again. The blame should be spread around to almost everyone but it’s hard to blame Sam Montembeault who was battling all night and was heavily outshot. Josh Anderson was the lone goal scorer for the Habs with his fifth of the season. The Habs could use his scoring touch and physical play a lot more often.

Last game: MTL 1  BUF 4  F

For a complete game recap: Season Gets Darker | RECAP: MTL @ BUF

Players to Watch

  • Brendan Gallagher
    Gallagher signed a six year extension last year. Due to COVID and injuries the 2018-19 season was the last time he played a full season putting up 52 points. With 10 points in 21 games this season Gallagher isn’t on a 50-point pace this season. Gallagher is much more than a scoring threat, he energizes the team and backs down from nothing. This season his impact hasn’t been seen very much and that could be what’s hurting the Habs more than anything, seeing their biggest leader down and out.
  • Alexander Romanov
    Romanov has had an increased role this season due to injuries, and he currently is 11th in the league for hits. Romanov may never light up the score sheet but the Habs should start increasing his offensive usage. There is still a lot of untapped potential in Romanov and if the Habs don’t try to find it now, he may fail to reach it.
  • Christian Dvorak
    At some point this season Dvorak will break out. The change of scenery for Dvorak hasn’t gone great but once Dvorak becomes comfortable his game will reach a new level.

Keys to Victory

  • Generate shots
    Two shots on goal in the second period on Friday is inexcusable. Following that up with only nine in the third is dreadful. The Habs generating almost no offense against a bad team is just awful to watch. A quick turn around against the Pens won’t be easy but the Habs will likely be putting everything on net after Friday night’s terrible effort.
  • Win special teams
    Norlinder should be getting some extra looks on the powerplay and the Habs desperately need some offence from him. The rookie has been used sparingly and that shouldn’t be the case with playoffs already likely out of reach.
  • Keep it close
    The blowout losses are starting to pile up, and it’s taking a toll on the Habs. The Habs need to do their best to keep it a close one goal game and always have a chance to come back.
Statistical Matchup for Game 23
PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA | November 27, 7:00 PM ET | TV: CBC, SNE, TVAS, ESPN+, ATTSN-PT

2021-22  statistics
PENGUINS CANADIENS
24 (13th) Points (rank) 12 (30th)
10-6-4 Record 5-15-2
W5 Streak L2
6-3-1 Last 10 2-6-2
2.90 (15th) GF/G (rank) 2.18 (30th)
2.50 (6th) GA/G (rank) 3.64 (31st)
11.9 (30th) PP% (rank) 13.6 (28th)
90.2 (1st) PK%  (rank) 68.7 (29th)
49.9  Faceoff % 48.1
Pre-game Quotes
Dominique Ducharme

  • “It’s frustrating. With these mistakes, we end up becoming our own worst enemy, and that’s what we did: we were our worst enemy.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Guentzel – Crosby – Rust
Zucker – Carter – Kapanen
Aston-Reece – Blueger – McGinn
Heinen – Boyle – Simon		 Drouin – Suzuki – Caufield
Toffoli – Dvorak – Anderson
Lehkonen – Evans – Gallagher
Pezzetta – Poehling – Armia
Defensemen
Dumoulin – Letang
Pettersson – Marino
Matheson – Ruhwedel		 Chiarot – Petry
Niku – Savard
Romanov – Norlinder
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Lafferty, Friedman, Boyle
Injured: Malkin		 Scratched: Paquette,
Injured: Wideman (upper-body),  Edmundson (lower-body), Kulak (lower-body), Hoffman (upper-body), Perreault (eye), Price (knee), Byron (hip), Weber (multiple injuries)
Goalies
Casey DeSmith Jake Allen
Casey DeSmith
Record: 0-2-1
GAA: 4.71
Sv%: .856
SO: 0
Alternate: Tristan Jarry		 Record: 4-9-1
GAA: 3.02
Sv%: .898
SO: 2
Alternate: Sam Montembeault
 Game Expectations
A quick turn around might benefit the Habs to get the taste out their mouths after a horrible loss. Unfortunately having to play the Pens won’t be an easy task, luckily for the Habs the Pens also were in action last night and were in a tight checking game to the final whistle. Whichever team has a great start and gets an early lead will likely be able to control the game. The Habs have to come out strong in the first and show that they won’t be blown out again by the Pens who handled them easily last week with a 6-0 win.

Bottom Line

The Habs are still a deep team with a lot of depth that will need to be used on a second night of a back to back.
 Video Highlights

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