MTL@PIT: Game 1 recap

TORONTO -- Two penalty shots and an overtime win. The first game of the Qualifying Round series between the Habs and Pens was worth the wait.

The 2020 NHL postseason kicked off on Saturday, with the Habs earning a 3-2 overtime victory over the Penguins in the opening tilt of their Best-of-5 Qualifying Round series.
The NHL kicked things off with a pregame ceremony honoring frontline workers, first responders, and social justice warriors, before Canadian crooner Michael Buble belted out the anthems virtually from his home city of Vancouver.

Before the series began, much was made of the difference in experience between the two teams, particularly down the middle. Heading into Saturday night, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin had combined for 326 career playoff games between them, while three of the Canadiens' centermen -- Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Max Domi - had yet to suit up for a postseason tilt as NHLers.
Two of those playoff rookies helped spark the Habs' offense, with Kotkaniemi getting his nose dirty in the blue paint to open the scoring 11:27 into the opening frame.

Suzuki followed suit in the second period, potting his first career NHL postseason goal with a perfectly-placed wrister that beat Matt Murray to put the Canadiens up by two.

Sidney Crobsy broke the ice for the home team three minutes later, scoring his first of the postseason from behind the goal line with a tough-angle bank shot.
The Penguins' notoriously dangerous power play got to work after the captain got them on the board, with Bryan Rust capitalizing on a goal mouth scramble with the man advantage to tie things up at two apiece.

Both teams' special teams put in overtime in the third period, as the Habs and Pens took turns with the man advantage for almost the entire first half of the final frame, including a 5-on-3 Penguins power play opportunity the Canadiens were able to snuff out.
Montreal went 0-for-2 on the power play on Saturday, while Pittsburgh went 1-for-7 with the man advantage. Carey Price denied Conor Sheary on a penalty shot attempt, helping force overtime in the series-opening game.
Both teams' special teams put in overtime in the third period, as the Habs and Pens took turns with the man advantage for almost the entire first half of the final frame, including a 5-on-3 Penguins power play opportunity the Canadiens were able to snuff out.
Montreal went 0-for-2 on the power play on Saturday, while Pittsburgh went 1-for-7 with the man advantage. Carey Price denied Conor Sheary on a penalty shot attempt, helping force overtime in the series-opening game.
SHOP: Montreal vs Pittsburgh playoff tee
The Habs were buzzing throughout OT, peppering Murray with 12 shots in the sudden death period. Jonathan Drouin was stymied on his penalty shot attempt following an interference call on Jack Johnson - the first time since 1937 that two penalty shots had been awarded in a postseason game.
Jeff Petry sealed it for the visitors with just over six minutes remaining in overtime, dragging the puck past a sprawling Brandon Tanev before sniping the Game 1 winner.

The Canadiens pulled ahead 1-0 in the Best-of-5 series, with Game 2 scheduled for Monday, August 3, at 8:00 p.m.