Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are in Montreal to face the Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night.
GAME DAY PREVIEW | Montreal Canadiens (12-13-3) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (12-12-3)
GAME DAY: Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins.Game Preview
Roster News
The Canadiens have recalled Emil Heineman from the Laval Rocket. Heineman has recorded one goal and three assists in seven games this season for the Rocket.
Tanner Pearson has been placed on injured reserve and will be out for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury.
Canadiens announced that Jordan Harris is expected to return to play in 10 to 14 days.
Sam Montembeault (6-4-1 / 2.78 GAA / .912 SV%) is the confirmed starter for Montreal.
Last Game
The Canadiens received solid goaltending from Jake Allen but could not convert on five power play opportunities.
Last game: MTL 1 vs NSH 2 | F
Players to Watch
- Sam Montembeault - Montembeault will be looking to bounce back from his last start, a loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
- Cole Caufield - All eyes will be on Caufield to see whether he can break out of his goal slump.
Matchup for Game 29, Home Game 17
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC. | December 13, 7:00 PM ET | TV: SN, RDS, SN-PIT, ESPN
Pre-Game
Jayden Struble on Sidney Crosby
- "It's cool to be on the same ice as him, but it's a game like any other. You can't be impressed, they're your opponents, but yes, it's a special moment. I've never really had a favorite player, but Crosby is definitely near the top of the list."
Watchalong Livestream (starts at 7 pm ET)
Projected Canadiens Lineup (subject to change)
Forwards
22 Cole Caufield - 14 Nick Suzuki - 20 Juraj Slafkovsky
91 Sean Monahan - 71 Jake Evans - 17 Josh Anderson
40 Joel Armia - 28 Christian Dvorak - 11 Brendan Gallagher
55 Michael Pezzetta - 13 Mitchell Stephens - 56 Jesse Ylonen
Defensemen
8 Mike Matheson - 58 David Savard
21 Kaiden Guhle - 52 Justin Barron
47 Jayden Struble - 26 Johnathan Kovacevic
Goaltenders
Starter: 35 Sam Montembeault (6-4-1 / 2.78 GAA / .912 SV%)
Alternate: 30 Cayden Primeau
Out of the lineup
Scratches: Gustav Lindstrom, Emil Heineman, Jake Allen
Injuries: Carey Price (knee), Chris Wideman (back), Kirby Dach (knee), Rafael Harvey-Pinard (lower body), Jordan Harris (lower body), Alex Newhook (lower body), Tanner Pearson (upper body)
The Canadiens have lost 110 man games due to injuries this season.
Visiting Bench
The Penguins are 5-0-3 in their last eight visits to Montreal.
Erik Karlsson has recorded 36 points in 46 games versus the Canadiens in his NHL career.
The Penguins benefited from two power play goals enroute to a 4-2 victory against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night.
Alex Nedeljkovic (2-2-1 / 2.18 GAA / .937 SV%) is the likely starter for the Penguins.
Game Expectations
The Canadiens are having difficulty scoring goals this season. Martin St. Louis said that he would like his players to get to the inside of the ice to better take advantage of their opportunities.
Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Montreal for year-round coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, Laval Rocket, and Habs prospects playing in leagues around the world.
Gretzky Signature Series.