Eller’s Twin Strikes Propel Penguins to Victory Over Canadiens

In a captivating contest, Lars Eller stole the spotlight with two goals against his old team as the Pittsburgh Penguins outplayed the Montreal Canadiens in a thrilling 6-3 victory on Monday night. The night also saw Evgeni Malkin marking a goal and two assists to his tally. Kris Letang, Kevin Hayes, and Rickard Rakell further boosted Pittsburgh’s scoreline while the Penguins’ goalie, Tristan Jarry, halted 24 shots.

Crosby’s Quest for 1,600 Continues

Sidney Crosby’s fans were left waiting as he was kept off the scoring chart, leaving him one point short of the 1,600 milestone. The 37-year-old veteran is on the verge of joining the elite club of just ten players in NHL history to reach this mark.

Canadiens’ Counterstrike

The Canadiens retaliated with goals from Kaiden Guhle, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Emil Heineman. Both Nick Suzuki and Mike Matheson contributed with two assists each, while goalie Sam Montembeault saved 26 shots.

Penguins’ High Points: Eller’s Goals & Hayes’ Go-Ahead

Eller, the 35-year-old Denmark native who previously played for the Canadiens between 2010 and 2016, made his mark by converting his first points of the season into two goals with his lethal wrist shots. A key turning point in the game was when Hayes put the Penguins ahead 4-3 with 12:13 left on the clock. The 32-year-old forward was perfectly positioned to drive a rebound past Montembeault, with Letang doubling the lead just four minutes later.

Canadiens’ Highlights: Slafkovsky’s Power-Play & Hutson’s Performance

The Canadiens marked a power-play goal for the consecutive fourth game courtesy of Slafkovsky’s first of the season. Despite not producing a point, rookie Lane Hutson was cheered on every time he got possession of the puck, creating a palpable buzz with every move, including an impressive deke around Crosby late in the second period.

Stat Spotlight: Canadiens’ Slow Start

It took the Canadiens a lengthy 15:30 to register their first shot on goal, leading to sarcastic cheers from the crowd two minutes earlier when Jake Evans made a dump-in toward the net, but it wasn’t credited as a shot.

Upcoming Games

The Penguins are set to host the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night, kicking off a two-game homestand. Meanwhile, the Canadiens will welcome the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday as they wrap up a three-game home stretch.