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Pittsburgh Penguins hold a 3-1 lead over the Montreal Canadiens in their NHL matchup after Samuel Girard scored at 27:59, sport.aktuality.sk reported. The goal followed an initial 1-0 advantage for Montreal established by Cole Caufield in the opening frame before Pittsburgh responded with goals from Evgeni Malkin, Declan Carlile, and Girard.
Montreal and Pittsburgh trade opening period goals
Montreal opened the scoring at 03:49 of the first period when Cole Caufield drove into the right circle and sent a sharp wrist shot into the top corner of Artūrs Šilovs’ net, with assists credited to Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson. Pittsburgh answered during a power play at 14:07. Following a hard shot from the blue line, Evgeni Malkin located a loose puck in the goalmouth and pushed it past goaltender Jakub Dobeš to tie the game 1-1, with helpers from Kris Letang and Hendrix Lapierre.
Second Period Goals Extend Pittsburgh Lead
Pittsburgh took their first lead just 32 seconds into the middle frame. The Penguins extended that advantage to 3-1 at 27:59. Sidney Crosby circled the net and put pressure on Dobeš, allowing Samuel Girard to collect the puck close to the crease and convert his opportunity, with secondary credit going to Kaedan Korczak.
Goaltenders face heavy pressure early
Both goaltenders faced heavy pressure through the opening twenty-six minutes. Šilovs turned away several difficult attempts early, including a solo break by Suzuki and a close-range chance by Danault. At the other end, Dobeš stopped a shorthanded breakaway attempt by Kindel and handled multiple perimeter shots from Pittsburgh’s attack, which included a power play resulting from Noah Dobson’s tripping minor at 24:17 and Michael Matheson’s interference penalty at 13:38.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Matchup
Who scored the opening goal for Montreal?
Cole Caufield scored the game’s first goal at 03:49 of the first period, assisted by Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson.
Which players recorded goals for Pittsburgh?
Evgeni Malkin scored in the first period, Declan Carlile struck 32 seconds into the second period, and Samuel Girard added the third goal at 27:59.
Who are the starting goaltenders for each team?
Artūrs Šilovs started in net for the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Jakub Dobeš guarded the goal for the Montreal Canadiens.