Canadiens Preview And Lines: Montembeault To Face Penguins

The Montreal Canadiens (11-14-3) are set to host the Pittsburgh Penguins (12-14-4) on Thursday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.

The Habs are coming off a 3-2 shootout win over the Anaheim Ducks which featured yet another Patrik Laine powerplay goal, marking the third time the Finn has found the back of the net in just four games with his new team. Things haven’t quite gone as well at 5v5, as the second line, which features Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Kirby Dach, is yet to produce the type of underlying numbers that would suggest they have the potential to become dominant, but it’s still very early.

Head coach Martin St-Louis can afford to give them a little more time, because Alex Newhook’s addition to the first line has led to surprisingly solid stats, both descriptive and predictive. With Newhook alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the top line has managed to control over 60 percent of the shots, as well as over 50 percent of the expected goals.

The sample size is still small, which means we may have to adjust our perception of the new lines going forward, but for a team like the Habs that doesn’t have enough talent up front, seeing the first line play well is never a bad thing.

It should also be noted that despite the slow start, the second line has shown some semblance of 5v5 chemistry, particularly in the second half of the game versus the Ducks. They’ll have to start producing at 5v5 if they’re to be kept together, but as we all know, you have to start somewhere.

Slafkovsky almost set up Laine’s first goal at 5v5, but Laine hit iron. #GoHabsGo

A lot of work left to do, but the second line is looking much healthier tonight. pic.twitter.com/uGBg0ZeiVc

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 10, 2024

Samuel Montembeault will be given the start versus Pittsburgh, and there are no changes expected among the skaters, with both Mike Matheson and Patrik Laine set to play after taking a therapy day on Wednesday.

ON TOPIC: Habs Analysis- Comparing Slafkovsky And Newhook On Top Line

As for the Penguins, they’re still having a hard time finding their rhythm now that Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang have reached their sunset seasons, but it’s also important to remember that all three love playing against Montreal, regardless of the situation.

Crosby is likely to leave Montreal with at least two points in the bank, but now that the big three have slowed down, mitigating their damage has become a realistic proposal.

It’s also a little rich to describe Crosby as a soon-to-be retiree, seeing as he has 27 points in 30 games this year, a rare feat for a 37-year-old in the NHL. Such is life as a generational talent.

Expect Thursday’s game to be a classic defence-optional match-up, as the Canadiens rank 30th in goals against, while the Penguins are dead last in the league.

If you would like the view from the other side of the rink, make sure to visit our sister site, Pittsburgh Hockey Now.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Pittsburgh Penguins Projected Lineup

Rust – Crosby – Rakell

Glass – Malkin – Tomasino

Bunting – Lizotte – O’Connor

Hayes – Acciari – Beauvillier

Pickering – Letang

Pettersson – Karlsson

Graves – Grzelcyk

Jarry

How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. The Pittsburgh Penguins, December 12, 2024.

Game 29 of the regular season will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.