The Penguins and Montreal were separated by 15 points in the Eastern Conference standings when the 2019-20 NHL season was suspended March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
That's a pretty striking number, but the season series between them generated a number that could be far more significant: One, which is the difference in the number of goals each team produced during their three meetings during the past winter.
And that difference-maker came in overtime, no less.
All of which matters because, at some point this summer, the Penguins and Canadiens are scheduled to meet in a best-of-five preliminary-round series to qualify for a spot in the traditional 16-club field that competes for the Stanley Cup.
Here is a look at their three regular-season meetings in 2019-20:
Date: Dec. 10, 2019
Site: PPG Paints Arena
Result: Canadiens, 4-1
This game could have been one of the high points in Tristan Jarry's season.
Maybe even in his career.
Instead, it turned out to be one of the Penguins' most disappointing performances of 2019-20.
For even though Jarry set the franchise record for the longest shutout streak in franchise history on this night, the goal that ended it -- by Tomas Tatar at 12:24 of the second period -- was the first of four in a row by the Canadiens, who transformed a 1-0 deficit into a three-goal victory to snap an 8-0-2 run on home ice for the Penguins.
And it was, Mike Sullivan said afterward, a loss they received on merit.
"I didn't think we had enough guys going tonight to get the job done," he said. "A lot of the game was played in the battle areas -- it was in the trenches -- and you've got to get your nose over pucks. You have to be willing to fight and protect pucks, and I don't think we won enough of those (battles)."
Jake Guentzel was no more charitable about his team's showing.
"It hasn't happened very much where we beat ourselves," he said. "I think we're playing well. For us to do this tonight, it's just one where you have to forget it."
One thing worth remembering about this game: Guentzel scored the Penguins' goal, giving him five on eight career shots against Montreal goalie Carey Price.
Date: Jan. 4, 2020
Site: Bell Centre
Result: Penguins, 3-2 (overtime)
Price has been widely regarded as one of the premier goalies in the NHL for a long time, but Matt Murray was the best goaltender in this game.
He stopped 26 of 28 shots and was rewarded with a victory when Brandon Tanev converted a Teddy Blueger rebound at 1:49 of overtime to break a 2-2 tie.
"He played great," Tanev said. "Matt's a phenomenal goaltender, and he was huge for us."
Tanev's game-winner capped a strong night for his line, as Zach Aston-Reese had opened the scoring for the Penguins off a feed by Blueger.
"They have a unique identity for this team," Sullivan said. "They get a lot of defensive-zone starts, they play a lot against the other team's top players. They check hard, and they have an offensive dimension to their game."
Date: Feb. 14, 2020.
Site: PPG Paints Arena
Result: Penguins, 4-1
Jason Zucker had made his Penguin debut three nights before Montreal came to PPG Paints Arena for the finale of the regular-season series.
This, however, when the night when he truly arrived.
Zucker, acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline earlier in the week, scored twice for his first multiple-goal game of the season and, in the process, made a terrific second impression on his new teammates.
"He was flying," Sidney Crosby said. "He created a lot and got a couple of good goals for us."
While Zucker got the most important goals of the game, Aston-Reese got off the best postgame line while discussing his own empty-netter, which broke a streak of 14 games without a goal and was just his second in 31 games.
"It's a lot easier," he said, "when there's no goalie there."
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