Game Preview: Breaking down Pens - Habs

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens square off tonight at the Consol Energy Center. Both teams are looking for their first win of the season after dropping their openers 3-2. It will be the first of four regular-season rematches between the 2010 playoff foes.

2010-2011

Pittsburgh Penguins: 0-1-0 | Montreal Canadiens: 0-1-0

The Canadiens eliminated the Penguins in seven games last spring during their David v. Goliath tour through the Eastern Conference postseason. After holding leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, the Penguins were ousted in game seven of the series.

Montreal went on to drop the Eastern Conference Finals to Philadelphia in five games. After sustaining last season’s unceremonious playoff exit and a loss in the home opener to rival Philadelphia, the Penguins are looking for redemption but as many players stated, winning an early regular season game doesn't take back what happened last spring.

The Canadiens were mostly unremarkable last year until the playoffs. Entering on the eight seed, they finished 39-33-10, good for 88 points. The Canadiens were a minus-6 in goal differential, 217 GF to 223 GA. The team finished with 936 PIM.

During the regular season, the Penguins mostly handled the Canadiens, taking the series three games to one.

The Canadiens named Brian Gionta their captain just before opening this regular season, becoming the 28th captain in the team’s history. Gionta signed a 5-year, 25 million dollar extension during the 2009 summer. Gionta finished last year with 46 regular season points and added 15 more in the playoffs.

The biggest surprise is the move of playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospects. Halak was nearly responsible for taking the Canadiens into the Conference Finals (along with the shot-blocking defensive corps in front of him.)

Also parting ways were forwards Sergei Kostitsyn, Dominic Moore and Glen Metropolit. Defensemen Marc-Andre Bergeron and Paul Mara also left over the summer.

The Habs acquired forward Jeff Halpern over the offseason. Halpern had a goal in the Canadiens’ season opener against Toronto. Also incoming were forwards Lars Eller and Dustin Boyd.

Journeyman Alex Auld now backs up incumbent starter Carey Price, and playoff standout P.K. Subban enters his first full season. He retains his rookie status for this year, making him an early watch for Rookie of the Year honors.