WIN THE BATTLE OF STARS
The Penguins may be hovering around .500 right now, but make no mistake, they have plenty of firepower on the team. And those guys are still difference-makers that the Canadiens would like to avoid from having big games.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens top players have struggled, particularly at even strength. There’s no time like the present to change that. Ideally, the Canadiens, win this game with their best players leading the charge. That means Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield get a couple points (preferably at five-on-five) and the Habs manage to keep the Pens stars in check.
Ironically, despite the star power the Penguins possess, they have one of the league’s worst powerplays, operating at just 11.4%. No, that is not a typo; it’s been that bad, as has the usually dominant Capitals powerplay, which is last in the NHL, operating at 8.2%. Weird times we live in. Still, it would be wise of the Canadiens not to give this group too many chances with the man advantage.