Penguins Escape Wild Finish in Home Opener
Suzuki’s post looms large as Novak strikes twice and Malkin steers Pittsburgh’s answer.
Montréal carried more of the attempts and plenty of the flow, yet Pittsburgh found the game’s last word in a 6-5 thriller. The twist: despite Montréal’s territorial edge, the chance quality came out nearly even — expected goals landed at 3.04 for the Canadiens and 3.24 for the Penguins — so the score line tracked the finish more than the shot clock.
The moment that will stick in Montréal’s mind is Nick Suzuki ringing iron on a prime look; one pipe in a one-goal game is the definition of a swing. From there, Tommy Novak cashed twice and Evgeni Malkin threaded the key setups, with Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson moving pucks to dangerous spots that didn’t need volume to matter.
Goaltending tilted it too. The Penguins’ chances were no better on paper, but both nets leaked beyond what the shooters created, and Pittsburgh’s special teams finish (two power‑play goals) and heavier shot blocking sealed just enough daylight to skate it out.