It was a wild night in the NHL, with 14 games on the schedule, but one of the evening’s standout stories came from Pittsburgh. The Penguins erupted for nine goals against the Montreal Canadiens, marking the highest single-game total by any team in the 2024-25 season.
Interestingly, the game was tightly contested early on, tied 1-1 at the end of the first period. By the end of the second, Pittsburgh held a narrow 3-2 lead. However, the third period was an offensive explosion, as the Penguins poured in six goals to secure a dominant 9-2 victory. The lopsided win also snapped Montreal’s recent hot streak, underscoring the Penguins’ firepower when they hit their stride.
Penguins’ Stars Showed Up
The Penguins’ forward had a great night offensively. Starting with Bryan Rust, who had a hat trick and an assist for four points and six shots on goal. Richard Rakell also had a good night with two goals and two assists.
The other notable players were:
- Sidney Crosby: 3 assists
- Kris Letang: 1 goal and 1 assist.
Tristan Jarry had a strong performance, stopping 21 of 23 shots for a .913 save percentage. It’s an encouraging turnaround for Jarry, who was recently sent down to the AHL to refine his game. His steady play helped anchor the Penguins in their dominant victory.
The Penguins entered the game with a troubling -30 goal differential for the season but managed to cut that to -23 by the end of the night—a remarkable swing for a team in need of a confidence boost.
The Canadiens Took a Huge Step Back
For the Canadiens, this game marked a disappointing setback. After getting Patrik Laine back from injury, the team seemed poised for a run of solid play, with Laine providing an early boost. However, they fell apart in the third period, conceding six goals and looking flat when it mattered most.Their goaltending let them down, particularly Cayden Primeau. He came on in relief and had a .571 save percentage in just over 11 minutes of play. He let in three goals on seven shots.
Next up, the Penguins face the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, aiming to build on this momentum. If they can carry this energy forward, it could mark the beginning of a much-needed turnaround for Pittsburgh.
