For more on this series, this game and the teams involved, check out our Penguins blog, Pensburgh, and our Canadiens blog, Eyes On The Prize.
7:00 P.M: Canadiens Looking For Another Upset In Round 2 Against Pens
Pittsburgh (Sports Network) - The defending Stanley Cup champions will welcome the most surprising team from the first round of the playoffs tonight, when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Mellon Arena.
While the Penguins, who have won the last two conference titles, are expected to go deep in the playoffs yet again, the Canadiens needed to pull off a shocking upset over top-seeded Washington to even reach this stage.
At the start of this postseason, the Habs weren't given much of a chance to knock off the Capitals in the conference quarterfinals. Then, when the Presidents' Trophy winners took a three games to one lead over Montreal, it seemed almost certain that the Canadiens were headed to a second straight first-round exit.
That's when Montreal rode goaltender Jaroslav Halak to three straight wins, including road victories in Games 5 and 7, to shock the Capitals. The Habs came back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series for the second time in club history, also pulling off the feat against Boston in the first round of the 2004 playoffs.
"I'm not surprised," Penguins forward Bill Guerin told the Penguins website about Montreal reaching the second round. "I think that they played a team game more than Washington."
With his clutch puck-stopping down the stretch, Halak was a huge reason the Habs were even able to make the postseason in the first place. He reached new heights in Round 1, making 131 saves on 134 shots over the final three games against Washington.
But, Montreal's thrilling win over the Caps can be attributed to more than just a hot goaltender. The team also boasts a deep defensive corps that is led by Andrei Markov and also includes former Pittsburgh blueliner Hal Gill, who helped the Pens to the Stanley Cup title before signing as a free agent with Montreal last summer.
Forward Michael Cammalleri also had a strong series for Montreal against the Caps, leading the team in both goals (5) and points (10).
While Montreal is attempting to reach the conference finals for the first time since 1993, Pittsburgh is trying to become the first team to claim back-to- back Cups since Detroit pulled off the feat in 1997 and '98. The fourth- seeded Penguins were the last franchise to win consecutive titles before the Red Wings, lifting Lord Stanley's Cup in 1991 and '92.
The Penguins had a solid start to the 2010 postseason, ousting fifth-seeded Ottawa in six games to earn a berth in Round 2. Pittsburgh's biggest asset in the Senators series was Sidney Crosby, as the team captain led all playoff scorers in the opening round with 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists). The 14 points were the second-most scored by a Penguins player in a single playoff series. Only the legendary Mario Lemieux had more when he notched 17 points in seven games against Washington in '92.
Pittsburgh's second-best offensive weapon should come as no surprise, as last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin recorded four goals and four assists to finish behind Crosby's torrid pace. Last spring, Malkin and Crosby were the NHL's top-two scorers in the playoffs, posting 36 and 31 points, respectively.
With two superstar centermen in Crosby and Malkin the Penguins basically have lines 1-A and 1-B, rather than a clear top unit. Outside of Malkin and Crosby, Pittsburgh's top scorers in Round 1 were wingers Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz, who each post six points against the Senators. Kunitz is questionable for Game 1 with an undisclosed injury.
In other injury news, forward Tyler Kennedy (leg) and defenseman Jordan Leopold (head) are also questionable tonight for Pittsburgh. Canadiens defenseman Jaroslav Spacek is still questionable with an undisclosed illness that kept him out the final four games of the Washington series.
Marc-Andre Fleury did not have a good opening series in net for the Pens, posting a 2.75 goals against average and .890 save percentage in the six-game set. Despite being just 25 years of age, Fleury does have tons of playoff experience, going 35-20 with a 2.49 GAA and .913 save percentage in 55 career postseason contests.
The Canadiens and Pens have met just once before in the playoffs and that was back in the opening round of the 1998 postseason when Montreal notched a six- game series victory.
The Penguins won three of four against the Habs during the regular-season series. Pittsburgh took the first three encounters by a combined 12-4 margin before Montreal avoided the season sweep with a 5-3 home victory on Feb. 6.
Pittsburgh was 25-12-4 at home during the regular season and will also host Game 2 of this best-of-seven set on Sunday. The Pens are the highest remaining seed in the East after the Caps, New Jersey and Buffalo all lost in the opening round.
Montreal was 19-17-5 as the guest this year.
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