The Pittsburgh Penguins (14-7-7) host the Montreal Canadiens (15-11-3) at PPG Paints Arena in a heated Atlantic-Metro rivalry game, as both teams look to rebound from deflating losses earlier this week. Pittsburgh, stung by a 4-3 shootout defeat to Anaheim on Tuesday, enters with a six-game winning streak against Montreal but must navigate life without Evgeni Malkin. The Canadiens, embarrassed 6-1 by Tampa Bay on Tuesday, bring a potent young offense led by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki but face a Penguins squad ranked first in power-play percentage (32.4%). With Montreal’s leaky defense allowing 3.55 goals per game (worst in the NHL), this matchup tilts toward Pittsburgh’s shot-heavy attack (32.1 shots/game), projecting a high-scoring affair where the Penguins pull out a 5-3 victory.
Venue Location
PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (capacity: 18,387). The Penguins are 8-3-3 at home this season, outscoring opponents by 1.2 goals per game, and have won five of their last seven against Atlantic foes in Pittsburgh.
Puckdrop: 7:00 p.m. ET. Broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh (Penguins), TSN2/RDS (Canadiens), with national streaming on ESPN+.
Injury Report
Injuries are mounting for both sides, with Pittsburgh’s forward group hit hardest by Malkin’s absence and Montreal recalling reinforcements amid defensive woes. Pittsburgh’s blue line holds steady, but depth scoring suffers; Montreal’s goaltending carousel continues with potential NHL debut for Jacob Fowler. Latest updates from Thursday morning skates:
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury | Notes |
| Canadiens | Jake Evans | C | Out | Personal (Foot?) | Away from team; missed last game, no timeline. Key bottom-six center (5G-3A in 29 GP). |
| Canadiens | Kaiden Guhle | D | Out | Upper Body | Sidelined ongoing; defensive anchor (1G-10A, +8 rating in 23 GP). |
| Canadiens | Jakub Dobes | G | Available | None | Recent starter; 11-5-1, 2.32 GAA but shaky in 6-1 loss (26/32 saves). |
| Canadiens | Cole Caufield | RW | Available | None | Full go; team-high 16G, scorching form. |
| Canadiens | Jacob Fowler | G | Available (Recall) | None | AHL call-up; potential debut if Montembeault sits (Laval: 12-4-2, 1.98 GAA). |
| Penguins | Evgeni Malkin | C | Out (IR) | Upper Body | Week-to-week since Dec. 9; 8G-15A in 20 GP, massive loss (missed last two SO losses). |
| Penguins | Rickard Rakell | RW | Out | Hand | Post-surgery; cleared for contact but missed 19 games (2G-6A in 9 GP). |
| Penguins | Caleb Jones | D | Out (IR) | Lower Body | Out since Nov.; depth D (0G-1A in 7 GP). |
| Penguins | Blake Lizotte | C | Out (IR) | Upper Body | Week-to-week with Malkin; 1G-2A in 15 GP. |
| Penguins | Tanner Howe | LW | Out | ACL | Season-long; no GP yet. |
| Penguins | Filip Hallander | C | Out | Undisclosed | Minimal impact; out indefinitely. |
| Penguins | Sidney Crosby | C | Available | None | Full practice; 12G-18A, carrying load sans Malkin. |
| Penguins | Tristan Jarry | G | Available | None | Starts; 8-6-3, 2.71 GAA after strong outing vs. ANA. |
Montreal’s recalls (Fowler, Engstrom, Beck) signal desperation in net and on D; Pittsburgh shifts Crosby to top line with Rust-Hayes.
Player Matchups
These battles underscore Pittsburgh’s experience against Montreal’s youth, with power plays (PIT 1st, MTL 18th) likely decisive:
Penguins C Sidney Crosby vs. Canadiens C Nick Suzuki
Crosby (12G-18A, 30 points) elevates without Malkin, facing Suzuki’s two-way play (8G-25A, 51% faceoffs). Crosby has 7 points in last 5 vs. MTL; Suzuki’s line must win draws to avoid PIT’s cycle (top-5 in forecheck).
Canadiens RW Cole Caufield vs. Penguins D Kris Letang
Caufield (16G, 25% shooting) hunts snipes on the wing, drawing Letang’s veteran shutdown (3G-12A, +10 rating). Letang held scorers under 2 SOG in 4 of 6; Caufield’s PP threat (8 PPG) tests PIT’s 85.2% PK (4th).
Penguins RW Bryan Rust vs. Canadiens D Kaiden Guhle (Out) Impact
Rust (18G in 28 GP) exploits edges, now vs. Montreal’s thin D (Engstrom recall). Rust has multi-goal games in 3 of last 6; without Guhle, Habs allow 3.55 GPG—Rust projects 1+ goal.
Canadiens C Ivan Demidov vs. Penguins C Lars Eller
Rookie Demidov (rookie-leading 10G-12A) sparks transitions, matched against Eller’s checking (4G-5A, PK specialist). Demidov has 5 points in last 4 road; Eller’s stick work limits rushers to 0.7 points/game.
Penguins G Tristan Jarry vs. Canadiens Top Line (Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky)
Jarry (2.71 GAA) faces Habs’ dynamic trio (combined 35 points last 10), generating 11.2 SA/game. Jarry’s .906 SV% shines vs. top-10 offenses; Habs’ 3.55 GA/G exposes weaknesses.
Pittsburgh’s depth (four lines >20 points) overwhelms Montreal’s injury-hit back end.
Team Records
Montreal Canadiens: 15-11-3 (4th in Atlantic Division)
7-6-2 on road, averaging 3.12 GPG (10th) while allowing 3.55 (30th). PP 18.8% (18th), PK 82.1% (15th); +0.34 goal differential, 13-16 ATS.
Pittsburgh Penguins: 14-7-7 (4th in Metropolitan Division)
8-3-3 at home, averaging 2.71 GPG (23rd) and allowing 2.86 (12th). PP 32.4% (1st), PK 85.2% (4th); +0.21 goal differential, 20-8 ATS.
Pittsburgh holds the season series tiebreaker (1-0 after 9-2 win Dec. 12, 2024).
Recent Team Forms
Montreal has dropped two straight, outscored 10-4, with goaltending woes (Dobes .870 SV% last two). Pittsburgh’s 1-2-2 skid includes two SO losses, but they’ve won 4 of 6 before that.
| Canadiens Last 5 Games | Date | Opponent | Result | Key Stats |
| vs. TBL | Dec 9 | Home | L 6-1 | Dobes 26/32 saves; Caufield 1G, 0/3 PP, 32 shots allowed. |
| @ MIN | Dec 7 | Away | L 4-3 | Montembeault 28/32; Suzuki 1G-1A, late rally falls short. |
| vs. DET | Dec 6 | Home | W 2-1 SO | Dobes 29/30; Slafkovsky GWG, 1/2 PP in grinder. |
| @ STL | Dec 3 | Away | W 3-2 SO | Dobes 31/33; Demidov 1A, strong road PK (3/3). |
| vs. CHI | Dec 2 | Home | L 5-2 | Montembeault 24/29; Defensive lapses, 18 TOs. |
Form Notes: 2-3, outscored 12-11. Road 1-2 (SO win); PP 20% last 5, but GA spikes to 4.0.
| Penguins Last 5 Games | Date | Opponent | Result | Key Stats |
| vs. ANA | Dec 9 | Home | L 4-3 SO | Silovs 26/30; Mantha 1G-1A (PPG), 1/3 PP, shootout woes. |
| @ WSH | Dec 7 | Away | L 3-2 SO | Jarry 28/31; Crosby 1G, outshot 32-24 but lose skills. |
| vs. VAN | Dec 4 | Home | W 4-3 | Jarry 29/32; Rust 2G, 2/4 PP in high-event win. |
| @ CBJ | Dec 1 | Away | W 5-1 | Jarry 25/26; Crosby 2A, dominant forecheck (38 shots). |
| vs. TOR | Nov 29 | Home | L 7-2 | Silovs .794 SV%; Crosby 1G, defensive collapse. |
Form Notes: 2-0-3, outscored 17-16. Home 1-0-1 (+1 margin); 1-7 in OT/SO this year.
Series History
All-time, Montreal leads 139-84-23 (regular season: 122-78-23), but Pittsburgh has dominated recently, winning the last six (6-0-0, average 5.8 goals/game). Key recent: Dec. 12, 2024 (PIT 9-2); Feb. 22, 2024 (PIT 4-1). In Pittsburgh, Penguins are 57-52-13 all-time, taking 4 of last 5 home vs. Habs. Overs hit 7 of 10 (average 6.2 goals), with PIT’s PP feasting (5 PPG last 6). This is the first of two meetings this season; rematch March 2026 in Montreal.
Betting Trends
Moneyline: 69% bets/75% handle on Penguins (backing 6-0 streak vs. MTL). Penguins 9-6 SU as -120+ faves; Canadiens 5-8 SU road dogs.
Puck Line: 61% bets on Canadiens +1.5 (value), 64% handle on Penguins -1.5 amid PIT’s 7-3 home cover streak. Habs 7-5 ATS road.
Total: 63% bets on Over 6.5 (81% handle), as 7 of 10 series over and combined 6.67 GPG. Under in 6 of Penguins’ last 9 home.
Key Trends: Penguins 11-4 SU last 15 home; Canadiens 0-5 SU last 5 after allowing 5+ goals.
Game Odds
Montreal Canadiens 6.5
Pittsburgh Penguins – 122
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, December 10, 2025
