Penguins at Canadiens
THE STORY: The Pittsburgh Penguins saw some familiar faces at practice Monday. Captain Sidney Crosby participated in his first full practice since it was revealed that he is dealing with a treatable soft tissue injury. "It was good to be out there,” the 2007 NHL MVP said. “I wasn’t going to skate by myself if I didn’t have to. This week’s been pretty good. I feel like I’m getting there. I don’t know the timeframe. I wish I did." The Penguins will look to feed off Crosby's latest good news Tuesday when they visit the Montreal Canadiens. Pittsburgh has won all three meetings this season and will look to wrap up their three-game road trip with a victory over the Canadiens.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, RDS (Montreal), ROOT Sports (Pittsburgh)
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (30-19-4): Pittsburgh suffered its seventh loss in eight games in the Garden State when it dropped a 5-2 decision to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Hart Trophy candidate Evgeni Malkin netted his 29th goal of the season in that contest - and 14th since the calendar switched to 2012. The Russian has collected 26 points in 21 career games versus Montreal - including two goals and an assist in two contests this season.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (20-24-9): The Montreal faithful celebrated two events Sunday. First, the Canadiens snapped a three-game slide with a 3-0 triumph over the Winnipeg Jets. Secondly - although it is debatable in the order - the fan base mocked Scott Gomez's one full year of scoring futility. “It’s not easy,” Carey Price said after stopping 23 shots. “Things haven’t gone his way the last year and that’s all right. He’s a leader in our room and he’s a big part of our hockey club." Gomez has not scored since Feb. 5, 2011.
OVERTIME:
1. Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal also practiced Monday. Staal, who is sidelined with a bruised knee ligament, isn't expected to return to game action until late next week at the earliest.
2. The Canadiens assigned forwards Ryan White and Aaron Palushaj to Hamilton of the American Hockey League on Monday. White has yet to play this season because of a sports hernia while Palushaj has notched one assist in 17 contests.