MONTREAL – The Penguins coughed up a two-goal lead in the third period and lost to the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, when Kirby Dach scored in overtime.
Evgeni Malkin and Casey DeSmith played well to help them at least earn a point.
Early on, it looked as if the Penguins might have enjoyed the Montreal nightlife a little too much the night before. Thankfully, DeSmith showed up ready to play.
After his second groin surgery in as many offseasons, DeSmith reported to training camp feeling strong physically and mentally. Excited to get a “clean slate” after a challenging 2021-22 for him individually, DeSmith performed well in camp and the preseason. He carried that over into Monday, his first start of the season.
The Penguins looked sluggish in the opening period as the Canadiens won race after race, pounced on bad passes and soft clearing attempts and pinned them in for a few prolonged shifts. But DeSmith stood his ground, fighting off a difficult Cole Caufield shot and shutting down one spinning try from Evgenii Dadonov.
He kept it scoreless until Malkin scored twice in the first half of the second.
Malkin bombed in a one-timer from the side boards to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead 3:52 into the period. Four minutes later, Malkin made Sam Montembeault pay for kicking the puck out into the slot, swatting it past the goalie’s blocker.
The fiery Russian leads the Penguins with three goals in the first three games.
DeSmith’s snazzy glove save late in the second had Brendan Gallagher glancing up in disbelief at all those championship banners in the Bell Centre rafters.
The Canadiens were able to pump two pucks past DeSmith in the third period.
Nick Suzuki followed up on his initial shot to beat DeSmith and make it a 2-1 game 70 seconds into the third period. DeSmith would keep the lead intact with two key saves on odd-man rushes while the Penguins were on the power play. But Caufield scored with 2:20 left and the Montreal net empty to send the game to OT.
Top-pair partners Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang, who weren’t at their best in this one, were on the ice when the Penguins lost track of Caufield at the back door.
With Jeff Petry taking a penalty in his first game back in Montreal, Dach scored on a 4-on-3 power play in overtime to finish off the Canadiens' comeback.
ICE CHIPS
-- Petry had a plus-1 rating against his former team with a highlight hit on Dadonov.
“Coming back here so early in the year, it’s nice to ... play that one early and get those emotions out,” said Petry, who spent eight years with the Canadiens.
The fans at Bell Centre let out theirs, as well. Petry was booed by a few at various points. But he also received a nice ovation after a tribute video was shown.
-- Joseph, meanwhile, skated in his first game at Bell Centre, where as a kid he was a pregame flag bearer for the Penguins-Canadiens playoff series in 2010. He had some rough sequences but said it was “a dream to be playing in this rink.”
“I tried to have a moment before going on the ice this morning,” Joseph added.
-- Danton Heinen appeared to score 1:52 into the game but a video review showed that his rising, short-angle shot rang the post but never crossed the goal line.
-- DeSmith, a New Englander who as a kid was a contrarian Canadiens fan, made his second career start at Bell Centre. He lost his first in a shootout in 2018.
-- Mike Matheson, whom the Penguins sent to Montreal in exchange for Petry and Poehling, did not play. He is out until December due to an injury. Prior to the game, Sullivan praised him, calling him one of the greatest athletes he has coached.
-- Teddy Blueger (upper-body injury) missed his third straight game Monday.
-- Crosby was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week after he tallied three points in each of his first two games. He led the league in scoring entering the day.
COMING UP
The Penguins have a scheduled day off Tuesday then will practice Wednesday in Cranberry. Thursday, they host the Los Angeles Kings at PPG Paints Arena.
