The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Montreal for a game against the Canadiens.
The Pittsburgh Penguins make their first trip to Canada for an early season showdown against the Montreal Canadiens. After two decisive victories against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes, the Penguins are looking to extend their wonderful start to the season. Meanwhile, a young Canadiens team is looking to turn some heads with a victory against the far superior team. Here are a few things to watch for in their matchup.
1. Montreal's Young Guns
The Penguins boast the oldest, yet one of the most talented, cores in the league. Long ago, the Penguins were much like this Montreal team: filled with potential and skill.
The Canadiens are in the middle of a changing of the guard, with recently appointed captain Nick Suzuki holding the honor of youngest captain in team history. Riding next to him is premier goal scorer, Cole Caufield. At only 21-years-old, Caufield is off to a hot start through three games. He leads his team with two goals and three points.
The Canadiens also have the most recent first overall draft pick, forward Juraj Slafkovsky, on their roster. Slafkovsky is still looking for his first point in the NHL. The Penguins will need to stifle the young offensive leaders of the Canadiens in order to secure a victory in Montreal.
2. First Road Game
The Penguins are playing outside of PPG Paints Arena for the first time this season and are hoping to replicate their success on the road from last season. They picked up 23 wins on the road last season, good to be ranked in the top 10.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry was superlative away from Pittsburgh last season as well, and is hoping to remain as solid this season. He boasted a 2.17 goals against average and a save percentage above .923 while playing as a visitor. Jarry is likely to get his third straight start against the Canadiens, and will be looking to start his play on the road on the right foot.
3. Offensive Explosion
The Penguins exploded in their first two games, putting up six goals on both of their opponents while dominated the pace of play in both victories. While this type of production isn't sustainable, can they continue their dominance for another game?
Captain Sidney Crosby is leading by example, with two goals and six points in the first two games. His line mate, Jake Guentzel, is right behind with two goals and four points so far this season. Right winger Rickard Rakell looks like the perfect fit on the first line, as well. He chipped in an empty net goal against the Lightning for his first point of the year.
The first line looks to continue leading the way in Montreal. The Canadiens' defense and goaltending has a tall task in front of them: trying to stop the juggernaut Penguins offense.
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