Canadiens vs. Penguins NHL Betting Odds, Picks: Montreal and Pittsburgh Open as a Pick’Em
A chock-full first Saturday around the NHL is highlighted by Montreal visiting Pittsburgh and the Canadiens getting their first look of the new season at the historic Penguins future Hall of Fame trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Both clubs are -110 on the NHL odds with a total of 6.5 goals.
Canadiens vs. Penguins NHL Betting Odds
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been anchored by Canadian centre Sidney Crosby, Russian forward Evgeni Malkin, and Montreal native and blueliner Kris Letang for more than two decades. This is their record 21st consecutive season playing together. That trio won three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017) since Malkin and Letang joined Crosby in 2006-07.
Crosby, 39, is in the final year of his contract but expected to keep playing after this season. As this is his 22nd season with the franchise, he has passed Pittsburgh Pirates legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Stargell for the most seasons of any athlete to play with a pro franchise in that city. The 40-year-old Malkin signed a one-year deal this summer, while the 39-year-old Letang has one year left on his deal. Ideally, they all retire together, but that’s likely up to Malkin.
Saturday marks the first of three regular-season meetings between these teams, and the only one in Pittsburgh. Last season, the winning club scored exactly four goals in each and Montreal won two – splitting in Steel Town. It was unique scheduling as all three games took place within less than two weeks in December 2025. Juraj Slafkovsky (1G, 4A) led the Habs with five points in the series, while Jacob Fowler won his two starts in net and Jakub Dobes lost his outing. Crosby had a goal and two assists in the three. Three different goalies got a start for Pittsburgh.
The Penguins are still 7-3 in the past 10 meetings, and the over-under is 5-4-1.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal opened the season with a 3-2 victory in Toronto on Tuesday and scored once in each period via Josh Anderson, Zack Bolduc and Alexandre Carrier, who added an assist and was the No. 1 star. The blueliner only had seven goals and 22 points in 77 games last year.
New addition Chris Kreider didn’t have a point in his team debut. Jakub Dobes stopped 26 shots to get his 37th career win in his 60th game. That is tied with Rick Wamsley for the fourth most by a Canadiens goaltender through 60. Bill Durnan holds the mark of 46.
Centre Oliver Kapanen was out for the opener with a lower-body and is questionable for Saturday. The Swede had 22 goals and 15 assists while playing all 82 games a season ago. Defenceman Kaiden Guhle was placed on injured reserve ahead of the opener with a groin injury, and he’s probably a couple of weeks away.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh may not play a better all-around game all season than it did Wednesday at rival Philadelphia by embarrassing the Flyers 7-0 in both team’s opener. Sidney Crosby factored on a game-opening goal for the 286th time to pass Mark Messier for the fourth most in NHL history. Wayne Gretzky holds the mark of 328.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal and Kris Letang an assist. It was the 494th regular-season win for that trio, breaking the NHL record previously held by the Sharks’ Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
The Penguins scored seven goals in a season opener on the road for the second time in franchise history, and it tied for the second-largest shutout victory in a season-opening game in NHL history.
After an up-and-down 2025-season, Arturs Silovs stopped all 19 shots to become became the fifth goaltender in league history to record a season-opening shutout in consecutive years. He did so last season against the Rangers.
Likely will be Silovs on Saturday. The Pens have a handful of players on injured reserve led by Bryan Rust, who was third on the team last year with 65 points.
MON
PIT