Game Preview: 10.31.26 at Montreal Canadiens

Watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Listen: 105.9 The X and the Penguins app

-The Penguins hit the road for a quick trip to Montreal to take on the Canadiens at the Bell Centre (TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Sportsnet, TVA; Radio: 105.9 The X).

-The Penguins have wins in eight of their last 10 games against the Canadiens (8-2-0) dating back to Dec. 13, 2023.

-Pittsburgh has points in 21 of its last 27 games against Montreal (18-6-3).

-Here at the Bell Centre, the Penguins have points in 11 of their last 12 games dating back to Jan. 18, 2017 (8-1-3). 

-Pittsburgh has points in three-consecutive games (2-0-1) entering tonight’s game.

1) Erik Karlsson has 46 points (11G-36A) in 56 career games versus the Canadiens. His 11 goals versus them are tied with his teammate Kris Letang (11) for the most among all active blueliners. 

2) Rickard Rakell has 21 points (9G-12A) in 23 career games against the Canadiens, including 14 points (5G-9A) over his last 10 games against them. His 0.91 points-per-game average against them is his second highest against any one opponent (NSH, 1.04). 

3) Rickard Rakell has three goals over his last four games (3G-1A) after going goalless in his first nine games to start the season. 

4) Tommy Novak has three assists over his last five games and now sits one assist shy of 100 in his career. 

5) Hendrix Lapierre has three points (3A) in four career games versus the Montreal Canadiens.

THE MONTREAL KID

Montreal native Kris Letang has picked up 43 points (11G-32A) in 51 career games against his hometown team. On the road against the Canadiens, Letang has 19 points (5G-14A) in 26 games. Among all active players born in Quebec, Letang is tied for the most points, but is first among Montreal-born skaters:

Most Points Among Active Quebec Natives

Player                              GP        PTS     Birthplace

Kris Letang                      1,239    812      Montreal, QC

David Perron                   1,239    812      Sherbrooke, QC

Jonathan Huberdeau       962      807      Saint-Jerome, QC

Jonathan Marchessault    791     579      Cap-Rouge, QC

Pierre-Luc Dubois            634      434      Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, QC

LE CAPITAINE

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (26G-47A) and alternate captain Evgeni Malkin (23G-44A) have recorded 73 and 67 points, respectively, in 56 and 53 career games against the Montreal Canadiens. Crosby enters tonight’s game with points in 18 of his last 23 games versus them (9G-24A). Crosby’s 1.30 points-per-game average against Montreal is second most among active players and ranks seventh in NHL history among players who have played at least 30 games against them:

Points Per Game Against Montreal, NHL History

Player                    GP      PTS      PTS/GM

Mario Lemieux       42       68         1.62

Wayne Gretzky      55       88         1.60

John LeClair          38       52         1.37

Mike Bossy            33       45         1.36

Eric Lindros            39       51       1.31

David Pastrnak      36       73       1.31

Sidney Crosby        55      72          1.30

OFFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN

Erik Karlsson enters tonight’s game with 949 career points (217G-732A) and is one point shy of cracking the top-10 list of the most points in NHL history among defensemen:

Most Points Among Defensemen, NHL History

Rank    Defenseman            PTS

1          Ray Bourque           1,579

2          Paul Coffey              1,531

3          Al MacInnis              1,274

4          Phil Housley            1,232

5          Larry Murphy           1,217

6          Nicklas Lidstrom      1,142

7          Denis Potvin            1,052

8          Brian Leetch            1,028

9          Larry Robinson        958

10        Brent Burns             950

11        Erik Karlsson           949

FRANCHISE ICON

Sidney Crosby enters tomorrow's game one assist away from passing Hall-of-Famer Ray Bourque for the most all-time with one franchise.

Most Assists With One Team

Name                   Team       Assists

Sidney Crosby      PIT          1,111

Ray Bourque        BOS        1,111

Wayne Gretzky     EDM       1,086

Steve Yzerman     DET        1,063

Mario Lemieux      PIT         1,033