What Happened
Josh Anderson recorded two goals and an assist as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on Saturday night for their fifth straight win. Montreal (9-3-2) returned home from an undefeated four-game Western road trip. Chris Kreider added a goal and an assist, Oliver Kapanen and Alexandre Texier also scored, and Lane Hutson contributed two assists. Jacob Fowler made 25 saves in the win. Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson each had a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh (5-7-2).
Key Details
- Anderson scored twice and added an assist for Montreal.
- Kreider had a goal and an assist; Kapanen and Texier also scored.
- Hutson recorded two assists; Fowler made 25 saves.
- Fowler became the third Canadiens rookie goalie in 40 years to win seven straight games.
- Crosby and Karlsson each had a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh.
- Novak and Rakell each had a goal and an assist; Murashov stopped 22 shots.
What It Means
The result extends Montreal's win streak to five games after a perfect four-game Western road trip, with the club sitting at 9-3-2. Fowler's seven-game run as a rookie places him in rare company among Canadiens goaltenders over the past 40 years. Pittsburgh, at 5-7-2, got multi-point nights from Crosby and Karlsson but could not slow Montreal's first-period push.