Montréal Canadiens at Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec 12, 2025. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 12, 2025 |
| Venue | PPG Paints Arena |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 4 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 22:15 | 0.05 | 1.48 |
| 2nd | Bryan Rust | R | 1 | 1 | 5 | 25:35 | 0.53 | 1.34 |
| 3rd | Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18:06 | 0.00 | 1.28 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Pittsburgh Penguins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 02:54 | MTL | Alexandre Texier | — | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 04:37 | MTL | Brendan Gallagher | Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovský | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 2nd 10:18 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson | 4v5 | 3–0 |
| 3rd 00:44 | PIT | Bryan Rust | Sidney Crosby, Tommy Novak | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 00:59 | MTL | Oliver Kapanen | Juraj Slafkovský, Ivan Demidov | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 3rd 15:07 | PIT | Erik Karlsson | Kris Letang, Bryan Rust | 6v4 | 4–2 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 29 | 38 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.70 | 5.03 |
| High-danger shots | 17 | 23 |
| Corsi % | 42.5% | 57.5% |
| Power play | 1/4 | 1/6 |
| Faceoff % | 41.0% | 59.0% |
| Hits | 12 | 25 |
| Blocks | 24 | 19 |
| Giveaways | 11 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 1 | 9 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 22:15 | 0.05 | 1.48 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 18:06 | 0.00 | 1.28 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18:12 | 0.30 | 0.85 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 19:03 | 0.38 | 0.85 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 23:02 | 0.48 | 0.79 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12:32 | 0.13 | 0.75 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9:57 | 0.15 | 0.70 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:43 | 0.00 | 0.49 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25:47 | 0.13 | 0.20 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:29 | 0.07 | 0.20 |
| Owen Beck | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:08 | 0.34 | 0.15 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:38 | 0.08 | 0.05 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:26 | 0.33 | 0.05 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:20 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:20 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Jared Davidson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5:44 | 0.16 | -0.15 |
| Adam Engstrom | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:30 | 0.00 | -0.20 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:40 | 0.02 | -0.25 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Rust | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 25:35 | 0.53 | 1.34 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 27:22 | 0.58 | 0.90 |
| Sidney Crosby | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 24:29 | 0.54 | 0.74 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:24 | 0.26 | 0.69 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:59 | 0.03 | 0.44 |
| Connor Clifton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:06 | 0.00 | 0.35 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:25 | 0.00 | 0.25 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:59 | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Ryan Graves | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:59 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21:24 | 0.45 | 0.15 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:11 | 0.06 | 0.15 |
| Kevin Hayes | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:53 | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:36 | 0.41 | 0.05 |
| Rutger McGroarty | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10:24 | 0.24 | 0.05 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:11 | 0.11 | 0.00 |
| Danton Heinen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:10 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:20 | 0.02 | -0.05 |
| Ville Koivunen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:25 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Fowler | Montréal Canadiens | 36 | 38 | 94.7% | -0.09 | W |
| Tristan Jarry | Pittsburgh Penguins | 25 | 29 | 86.2% | -0.26 | L |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–2 on Dec 12, 2025.
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 5.03 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 2.7 — Pittsburgh Penguins owned the better of the chances but Montréal Canadiens took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Lane Hutson led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.48 on 2 assists, 2 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–2 on Dec 12, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Lane Hutson led all skaters at 1.48, on 0G, 2A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 5.03 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 2.7, so Pittsburgh Penguins created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 29 shots on goal and Pittsburgh Penguins put 38. High-danger chances went 17 to 23.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jacob Fowler stopped 36 of 38 (-0.09 goals saved above expected); Tristan Jarry stopped 25 of 29 (-0.26 goals saved above expected).