In a thrilling Saturday night showdown at PPG Paints Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame a four‑goal deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 6‑5 in overtime. The comeback was capped when forward Tommy Novak converted a 2‑on‑1 opportunity at 1:33 of overtime, scoring his second goal of the game.
Key moments
Montreal surged ahead early in the second period, building a 5‑1 lead thanks to goals from Cole Caufield (two), Nick Suzuki, Chris Kreider and Ivan Demidov. The Canadiens appeared poised to dominate, but the Penguins responded with a flurry of scoring in the third period.
Penguins captain Evgeni Malkin sparked the rally, scoring a power‑play goal and adding two assists. His assist on Novak’s overtime winner marked Malkin’s 1,411th career point, moving him past Dale Hawerchuk into 22nd place on the NHL’s all‑time points list.
Supporting the comeback, Ben Kindel returned from injured reserve and contributed a power‑play goal. Sam Girard and Declan Carlile also found the net for Pittsburgh, while veteran Sidney Crosby recorded his 1,109th career assist, tying Hall of Famer Joe Thornton for seventh‑most in league history.
Goaltending and ceremony
Montreal’s netminder Jakub Dobes made 24 saves, while Pittsburgh’s Arturs Silovs turned aside 20 shots. The game also featured a ceremonial puck drop by franchise legend Mario Lemieux, who celebrated the Penguins’ 60th season.
Looking ahead
Both clubs have busy schedules ahead. The Canadiens begin a four‑game home stretch on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Penguins will host the Winnipeg Jets on Monday before embarking on a road‑heavy stretch, playing six of their next seven games away from home.
The victory underscores Pittsburgh’s resilience and depth, qualities that have defined the franchise for decades. Fans left the arena buzzing about the dramatic finish and the historic milestones achieved by Malkin and Crosby.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
