Music: {allcanada} 3 Keys: Penguins vs. Canadiens, Game 3 of Cup Qualifiers

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

{allcanada} 3 Keys: Penguins vs. Canadiens, Game 3 of Cup Qualifiers

Rakuten.ca - Amazon.com - Classmates - HideOut.tv - GameStop - SnoreX

No. 5 Penguins vs. No. 12 Canadiens

8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS, ATTSN-PT

Best-of-5 series is tied, 1-1

Sidney Crosby will look to score in a third straight game when the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wednesday.

The center scored the first goal for Pittsburgh in each of its first two games in the series, a 3-2 overtime loss on Saturday and a 3-1 win in Game 2 on Tuesday in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city. The goal in Game 2 tied Crosby with Doug Gilmour and Joe Sakic for eighth on the NHL all-time postseason points list with 188 (68 goals, 120 assists) in 166 games.

"He knows what's at stake," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "He sees the opportunity in front of us, and he gets excited about it."

After being outshot 38-27 in Game 2, and 32-13 combined in the first period of the first two games, the Canadiens could adjust their lineup when they try to move one win away from returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017, coach Claude Julien said. No changes have been confirmed.

Teams that win Game 3 after a series is tied 1-1 are 21-7 (75 percent) winning a best-of-5 NHL series (14-2 when last used from 1980-86).

Here are three keys to Game 3:

1. Crosby leading the way

Reunited with left wing Jake Guentzel, who has three points (one goal, two assists) this series, Crosby has picked up where he left off in March. Including his two goals this series, the Pittsburgh captain has scored eight points (five goals, three assists) in his past seven games going back to March 3.

When Crosby is producing, his impact is felt throughout the lineup, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said.

"Everybody is watching Sid on our team. Even the older guys are always kind of going to follow him," Letang said. "When Sid is leading your team, you know you're in good hands."

2. Helping Price

Carey Price has made 74 saves on 78 shots through the first two games. But other than center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who has scored one goal in each game, Montreal hasn't done enough to support its goalie.

The first line of center Phillip Danault with left wing Tomas Tatar and right wing Brendan Gallagher has not produced a goal. Danault and Gallagher each had an assist on Jeff Petry's overtime goal in Game 1; Tatar does not have a point.

"We need a little bit more from everybody," Julien said. "It's not X's and O's anymore. It's how hard you want to compete."

3. Staying out of the box

Pittsburgh had five power plays Monday after having seven in Game 1. It has scored once in those 12 chances, but Julien said disrupting the flow of the game has negatively impacted Montreal.

"We're a 5-on-5 team that usually has good stats," Julien said. "We need to play more 5-on-5. Even though they've scored one power-play goal, they've had some chances. They've had some momentum that they've been able to build off."

The Penguins have killed each of the Canadiens' five power plays through two games. But because they've had the better play at even-strength, they likely would want to limit Montreal's time with the man advantage.