Overall, the 2024-25 season was a good one for the young Montreal Canadiens. Not only were they in the mix, but they even managed to make the Stanley Cup season after a fantastic second half of the season. Thankfully for the Pittsburgh Penguins, though, they only took on the Habs in the first half of the season.
Montreal took some time to get into gear this year, and Sidney Crosby and co. took advantage. They won all three meetings and obliterated the Canadiens on the scoreboard, winning the season series 18-6.
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The first meeting between the two teams took place on October 14 at the Bell Centre, and the fans in attendance didn’t get an excellent performance from their favorites. While the Penguins committed 23 giveaways, the Habs were unable to take advantage. Although they held their own in the first half of the game, they led 3-2 with less than five minutes left in the second frame. The Pens then scored four unanswered goals to skate away with a 6-3 win.
Two and a half weeks later, in Pittsburgh, the host posted a 3-1 win on the back of a great performance by captain Sidney Crosby, who scored a pair of goals early on. Christian Dvorak got the Habs back within one, but it was too little too late, and Blake Lizotte sealed the win with an empty netter with less than a minute left in the game.
Finally, in December, the Pens destroyed the Canadiens 9-2, in front of their fans, at the Bell Centre. It would turn out to be the last blowout loss Montreal would suffer on the season. Montreal only took 23 shots on net while Pittsburgh had 33. The Habs were unable to score on the man-advantage, despite having four opportunities, while Pittsburgh converted on two of their three opportunities. After that game, something clicked, and the Canadiens never looked back.
Over the three duels, Rikard Rakell had six points, Crosby five, and Kris Letang four. The Penguins’ experienced core had no trouble evading the Habs' coverage and hitting the team on the scoreboard. The question is, will they be around to continue their dominance over the Canadiens next season?
Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas has already said that he’s willing to listen to offers on his veteran as a rebuild is looming in Pittsburgh, but so far, none of the big names have moved. Bryan Rust, Rakell, and Erik Karlsson are all still in Pittsburgh. The fact that Dubas is looking for young NHL-ready talent for the two aforementioned forwards cuts down the number of potential suitors for the aging players.
Still, the Penguins managed to land Anthony Mantha and Matt Dumba to bolster their lineup and brought in a new coach in Dan Muse. Meanwhile, Matt Nieto, Matt Grzelcyk, P.O. Joseph, and Alex Nedeljkovic have all left town.
There’s also been talk and rumblings about Crosby’s availability, but Elliotte Friedman put an end to speculation, saying the captain would be starting the season in Pittsburgh. As things stand, the Pens will be a tougher outfit to take on this season than they were last year, but the same can be said for the Canadiens with the additions of Noah Dobson and Zach Bolduc, to name a few.
While it will take some time before the Habs can try their hand at beating the Penguins again, fans will be treated to three duels between the two sides in December. On the 11th in Pittsburgh, the 20th in Montreal, and the 21st in Pittsburgh again. Suppose the Canadiens hope to beat Crosby and co. They’ll need Samuel Montembeault to step up. The starter was in the net for all three defeats last season, with a 4.75 goals-against average and a .833 save percentage. He needs to improve these numbers if the Canadiens are to have a chance.
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