Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby seeks a bounce back performance against the Montreal Canadiens.
The fanfare surrounding Sidney Crosby on the road is always immense, especially when he returns to his home country of Canada. It will be no different tonight as the Pittsburgh Penguins captain battles his favorite childhood team, the Montreal Canadiens.
Crosby struggled on the Penguins first trip to Montreal, finishing the game with zero points and only one shot on goal. His performance was due, in large part, to the play of rookie Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle. Montreal's first-round pick in 2020, went head-to-head with Crosby in that game and contained the future Hall of Fame center.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Crosby finished that game with 38.71 percent of the shot attempts at 5v5, his second-lowest mark in that area this season. He also finished with his third worse performance of the season in expected goals for percentage at 5v5 (45.70%). It was no accident that Guhle was the man to face off with Crosby as he logged the overwhelming majority of ice time against the Penguins star.
Crosby got shut down in that game amid a red-hot start to the season. He logged three-point performances in the two games before that matchup and scored in the two games afterward, including a three-point performance against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Guhle's performance is even more impressive, considering Crosby's success against the Habs throughout his career. Crosby has collected 58 points (21-37) in 44 regular season games against Montreal. His five game-winning goals are the most for Crosby against any team outside the Metropolitan Division.
Coming into this game, Crosby has recorded points in four of his last five games, including his 900th career assist against the Seattle Kraken.
Sidney Crosby remains one of the most competitive players in the NHL, and it wouldn't be shocking if he didn't have his last game in Montreal on his mind when the puck drops tonight at the Bell Centre.
Crosby vs. Guhle: Part Two. It's a revenge spot no one expected, but everyone should look out for tonight.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins