Montréal Canadiens at Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec 22, 2025. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 22, 2025 |
| Venue | PPG Paints Arena |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 3 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins score | 4 |
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 | Rickard Rakell | R | 1 | 1 | 4 | 21:44 | 0.77 | 1.54 |
| 2nd | Sidney Crosby | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:53 | 0.61 | 1.49 |
| 3rd | Ivan Demidov | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:56 | 0.08 | 1.44 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Pittsburgh Penguins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 07:31 | MTL | Oliver Kapanen | Juraj Slafkovský, Ivan Demidov | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 07:58 | PIT | Sidney Crosby | Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 12:40 | PIT | Rickard Rakell | Bryan Rust, Sidney Crosby | 5v4 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 03:54 | MTL | Ivan Demidov | Juraj Slafkovský, Oliver Kapanen | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 11:51 | PIT | Noel Acciari | Kris Letang, Arturs Silovs | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 04:04 | MTL | Noah Dobson | Sammy Blais, Mike Matheson | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| P5 00:00 | PIT | Kevin Hayes | — | 1v0 | 3–3 |
| P5 00:00 | MTL | Cole Caufield | — | 0v1 | 3–3 |
| P5 00:00 | PIT | Rickard Rakell | — | 1v0 | 3–3 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 25 | 31 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.91 | 5.20 |
| High-danger shots | 16 | 28 |
| Corsi % | 42.6% | 57.4% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 48.1% | 51.9% |
| Hits | 25 | 30 |
| Blocks | 18 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 19 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 4 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Demidov | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 15:56 | 0.08 | 1.44 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 14:44 | 0.54 | 1.44 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 21:13 | 0.24 | 1.33 |
| Sammy Blais | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8:32 | 0.09 | 0.84 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 27:23 | 0.14 | 0.79 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 22:33 | 0.20 | 0.60 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:05 | 0.03 | 0.25 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:05 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:17 | 0.37 | 0.15 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 28:58 | 0.43 | 0.10 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:29 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:04 | 0.19 | 0.05 |
| Owen Beck | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:07 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:26 | 0.20 | 0.00 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:48 | 0.06 | 0.00 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:40 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Adam Engstrom | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:40 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:22 | 0.39 | -0.10 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rickard Rakell | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 21:44 | 0.77 | 1.54 |
| Sidney Crosby | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 20:53 | 0.61 | 1.49 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12:34 | 0.12 | 0.85 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:36 | 0.04 | 0.69 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27:07 | 0.21 | 0.54 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 23:36 | 0.07 | 0.49 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:00 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| Jack St. Ivany | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:42 | 0.09 | 0.25 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:13 | 0.05 | 0.25 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:27 | 0.14 | 0.15 |
| Kevin Hayes | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:26 | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:51 | 0.27 | 0.10 |
| Ville Koivunen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:47 | 0.17 | 0.05 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:11 | 0.61 | 0.05 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:34 | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Rutger McGroarty | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12:49 | 0.30 | -0.05 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:49 | 0.21 | -0.10 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:41 | 0.17 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 28 | 31 | 90.3% | 5.07 | O |
| Arturs Silovs | Pittsburgh Penguins | 22 | 25 | 88.0% | 2.60 | W |
Analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Montréal Canadiens 4–3 on Dec 22, 2025, a one-goal game.
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 5.2 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 3.91 — Pittsburgh Penguins edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Rickard Rakell led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.54 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal.
Jakub Dobes stopped 28 of 31, worth 5.07 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins game?
The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Montréal Canadiens 4–3 on Dec 22, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Montréal Canadiens 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Rickard Rakell led all skaters at 1.54, on 1G, 1A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 5.2 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 3.91, so Pittsburgh Penguins created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 25 shots on goal and Pittsburgh Penguins put 31. High-danger chances went 16 to 28.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jakub Dobes stopped 28 of 31 (5.07 goals saved above expected); Arturs Silovs stopped 22 of 25 (2.6 goals saved above expected).