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 | Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21:13 | 0.24 | 2.36 |
| 2nd | Ivan Demidov | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:56 | 0.10 | 2.07 |
| 3rd | Oliver Kapanen | C | 1 | 1 | 7 | 14:44 | 0.54 | 2.01 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 21:13 | 0.24 | 2.36 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 15:56 | 0.10 | 2.07 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 14:44 | 0.54 | 2.01 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 27:23 | 0.14 | 0.97 |
| Sammy Blais | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8:32 | 0.09 | 0.75 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:05 | 0.03 | 0.64 |
| Owen Beck | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:07 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:17 | 0.37 | -0.16 |
| Adam Engstrom | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:40 | 0.00 | -0.17 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:04 | 0.60 | -0.18 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:22 | 0.39 | -0.19 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 28:58 | 0.43 | -0.41 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:40 | 0.00 | -0.45 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:05 | 0.00 | -0.52 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 22:33 | 0.20 | -0.52 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:48 | 0.35 | -0.61 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:29 | 0.00 | -0.62 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:26 | 0.55 | -0.65 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 20:53 | 1.00 | 1.62 |
| Rickard Rakell | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 21:44 | 1.30 | 1.39 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:51 | 0.27 | 1.07 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:36 | 0.04 | 0.76 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12:34 | 0.12 | 0.73 |
| Ville Koivunen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:47 | 0.17 | 0.72 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 23:36 | 0.07 | 0.71 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:11 | 0.61 | 0.71 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27:07 | 0.25 | 0.59 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:13 | 0.05 | 0.54 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:27 | 0.14 | 0.43 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:49 | 0.21 | 0.43 |
| Rutger McGroarty | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12:49 | 0.30 | 0.39 |
| Jack St. Ivany | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:42 | 0.09 | 0.29 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:41 | 0.17 | 0.27 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:34 | 0.05 | 0.23 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:00 | 0.02 | -0.11 |
| Kevin Hayes | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:26 | 0.49 | -0.19 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 28 | 31 | 90.3% | 1.29 | O |
| Arturs Silovs | Pittsburgh Penguins | 22 | 25 | 88.0% | 0.36 | 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.
Juraj Slafkovský led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.36 on 2 assists.
Jakub Dobes stopped 28 of 31, worth 1.29 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 — Juraj Slafkovský led all skaters at 2.36, on 0G, 2A and 0 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 (1.29 goals saved above expected); Arturs Silovs stopped 22 of 25 (0.36 goals saved above expected).