Pittsburgh @ Montreal preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 10, 2019 ) Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 1

The Montreal Canadiens are mired in a four-game skid, and the cause for concern that comes with being on the wrong end of the scoreboard has led to the team shuffling the deck with its roster. Fresh off the acquisition of Ilya Kovalchuk and a pair of trades, the Canadiens look to get back on track against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

"As frustrating as it can be for people and fans and even for us at a certain point because we don't like losing, I don't think there's any question about the character of this team," Montreal coach Claude Julien said. "... The biggest issue, obviously, has been our depth lately." The injury bug revisited the Canadiens as alternate captain Brendan Gallagher sustained a concussion in Tuesday's 3-1 setback at Carolina, but the club put forth a spirited effort two days later in a 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay. The injury narrative is nothing new for Pittsburgh, which has endured more than its fair share this season but still sports a 10-2-1 mark in its last 13 games. "That's been our story the whole year. We've had guys in and out of the lineup, big guys, and we still find a way to play good hockey," said Patric Hornqvist, who recorded his second consecutive multi-point performance with two goals in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to San Jose.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: NHL Network, AT&T Sportsnet-Pittsburgh, CITY, Sportsnet East, TVAS

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (24-11-5): Sidney Crosby skated with his teammates prior to their practice on Friday, but the superstar captain as yet to be cleared for contact as he attempts to work his way back from a core muscle injury that has sidelined him since mid-November. "It's great for our team morale," coach Mike Sullivan said of Crosby's involvement on the ice. "Our guys love it when he's out there. He's obviously making progress. We're excited about that. But it's great to see him back with the team." Fellow forward Bryan Rust has dented the scoresheet in nine of his last 10 games (seven goals, nine assists), beginning with an assist in Pittsburgh's 4-1 setback to Montreal on Dec. 10.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (18-17-6): Defenseman Jeff Petry scored Montreal's lone goal on Thursday to boost his point total to nine (three goals, six assists) in his past six games. Petry will see some change along the back line, as the Canadiens acquired Montreal native Marco Scandella from Buffalo for a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and sent fellow blue-liner Mike Reilly to Ottawa for forward Andrew Sturtz and a fifth-round selection in the 2021 draft. As for the 36-year-old Kovalchuk, Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin told reporters that "he knows it's his last chance. We have nothing to lose. We'll see where he's at, where his game is at and we'll decide. It's going to be up to him."

OVERTIME

1. Pittsburgh's Matt Murray is in line to start on Saturday, while fellow G Tristan Jarry remained in the Steel City to prepare for Sunday's home game against Florida.

2. Montreal C Max Domi carries an eight-game point streak (six goals, five assists) into Saturday's contest.

3. Penguins C Evgeni Malkin, who also had an assist in the first encounter with the Canadiens, saw his nine-game point streak come to a halt on Thursday.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 3, Penguins 2