The perfect power play was the story of the night for the Penguins, as it went 4-for-4 and thwarted every bit of Montreal's confidence.
And speaking of confidence, the story of the game for Montreal was the dud put forth by Jaroslav Halak. After posting a 1.00 GAA in his last three games, he allowed five in this one before being pulled in favor of Carey Price in the third period.
Halak finished with 15 saves on 20 shots (.750 save percentage) in 45:18. Marc-Andre Fleury was far more impressive, stopping 28 of 31 shots.
The Canadiens will have to regroup quickly before Game 2 on Sunday.
Third period, 48.2 seconds, Penguins 6-3: Bill Guerin puts the nail in the Habs' coffin, notching the empty-netter.
Third period, 1:25, Penguins 5-3: Carey Price is pulled, and the Pens are facing an empty net.
Third period, 3:14, Penguins 5-3: The Pens have tied a club record in the playoffs with their four power-play goals.
We're in the midst of a 4-on-4, as Hal Gill was whistled for holding and Ruslan Fedotenko was sent to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Third period, 5:12, Penguins 5-3: Montreal has really turned up the offensive pressure after that power-play goal. The Habs are throwing everything they have on net, and Marc-Andre Fleury is forced to make a succession of fast saves, but fortunately for Pittsburgh, he holds strong.
Third period, 7:06, Penguins 5-3: The Canadiens pull within two, as Brian Gionta's one-timer from the high slot rockets past Marc-Andre Fleury's head before he even sees it coming.
Is this a new game? Can the Habs keep the renewed effort going?
Third period, 8:24, Penguins 5-2: Another penalty, this one off a faceoff, as Chris Kunitz is whistled for slashing.
Marc-Andre Bergeron begins the power play with a rocket of a one-timer, but it goes wide.
Third period, 8:40, Penguins 5-2: After the skirmish, Scott Gomez gets two minutes in the box for roughing, but Mike Rupp gets four.
Still, the Habs are completely flat on the power play. They have absolutely zero momentum going right now.
Third period, 10:54, Penguins 5-2: Evgeni Malkin comes in alone in a one-on-one against Carey Price and the shot was off the mark, but Price still got a piece of it to deflect it.
It seems like the Pens have gotten about 900 breakaway one-on-one's in the last few minutes, and finally, the Habs' frustration boils over with a skirmish in front of the benches.
It feels like the Canadiens are completely out of this one.
Third period, 14:42, Penguins 5-2: And as expected, Carey Price has replaced Jaroslav Halak, who was The Story for Montreal coming into this game.
If Price holds strong here, does he get the start in Game 2?
Third period, 17:01, Penguins 5-2: And yes, the power play will remain perfect.
Sidney Crosby in the right circle feeds Alex Goligoski in the left circle, and Goligoski's one-timer just rockets past Jaroslav Halak.
It's beating a dead horse, but Halak is totally off his game tonight. He looks slow to react and half-asleep.
Third period, 18:46, Penguins 4-2: Montreal's delay of game allows Pittsburgh its fourth power-play opportunity. Will it remain perfect?
During the intermission, Pens assistant coach Mike Yeo said he was "satisfied" with the power play's effort. Yeah, I'd agree that perfect is pretty satisfactory, if I were a Pittsburgh coach.
Third period, 19:25, Penguins 4-2: Another injury update — Jordan Staal will not return tonight, but his injury is undisclosed. It seems to have something to do with the leg, though, as he favored it walking off the ice.
End of second period, Penguins 4-2: After several momentum changes throughout the frame, the Pens appear to have the upper hand once again, and time is running out for the Canadiens to claim it.
Pittsburgh needed only a few minutes to widen its lead to 3-1, but the Canadiens managed to come back to life and pull back within one. It all was for naught, though, as the Penguins completely took all the wind out of Montreal's sails with their fourth goal with less than two minutes remaining.
Halak is really struggling — his body language has been screaming help from the outset. Will we see Carey Price in the third? Probably not. Unless the Pens score again.
Second period, 1:24, Penguins 4-2: Craig Adams victimizes a dejected Jaroslav Halak with a textbook perfect play.
Pascal Dupuis feeds Adams from the left circle just as Adams is coming in off a line change — completely undetected by the Canadiens — and Adams sneaks it by Halak from just outside the crease. Halak looks completely shell-shocked, and the home crowd is going nuts.
Matt Cooke also gets a helper on the play.
Second period, 3:17, Penguins 3-2: Update on Jordan Staal — he took what seemed like an unintentional hit and fell awkwardly on his leg. He got off the ice of his own volition but hasn't returned to the bench yet.
Second period, 4:33, Penguins 3-2: After tons of action around the Penguins' net, the Habs finally put one past Marc-Andre Fleury.
After Fleury bobbles and deflects one attempt, Scott Gomez fights for the puck on the boards and fires to Mike Cammalleri right in front of the net. Cammalleri pulls the Canadiens within one, and this is a new game.
It's Cammalleri's sixth of the postseason.
Second period, 7:12, Penguins 3-1: Marc-Andre Fleury makes the save of the game, as Scott Gomez comes streaking down the right side and picks up a deflected puck, firing it on net as he circles behind. Fleury just manages to kick it away.
P.S. Sidney Crosby just skated back to the bench and appears to be fine.
P.P.S. Jordan Staal has now disappeared to the dressing room. We'll keep you updated.
Second period, 9:04, Penguins 3-1: Montreal will get another power-play opportunity, as Maxime Talbot is whistled for hooking.
This is a big momentum swinger for either side — if Pittsburgh can kill this off, it has to feel pretty untouchable. Of course, there's still plenty of time left.
Second period, 12:08, Penguins 3-1: Sidney Crosby appears to get hit in the face with a Canadien's stick, and he has left the ice to seek medical attention.
There's no high-stick call, but we'll keep you updated on Crosby's condition.
Second period, 14:30, Penguins 3-1: There is some speculation that if something doesn't change soon (if Montreal doesn't score the next goal), Carey Price could make an appearance this evening — maybe even in Game 2.
Second period, 17:26, Penguins 3-1: The Pens' perfect power play gets another shot, as Andrei Kostitsyn is in the box for too many men on the ice.
And perfect the power play stays. Sidney Crosby battles for the puck along the boards, sending it to Kris Letang in the slot and catching Jaroslav Halak completely off-guard.
Pittsburgh is now 3-for-3 on the man advantage tonight, and Montreal is looking tired and seriously overmatched.
Second period, 19:55, Penguins 2-1: Matt Cooke strikes again. Andrei Markov will not return after taking a nasty hit from the pesky forward in the first period. He's out with what has been deemed a lower body injury.
End of first period, Penguins 2-1: After being shocked by the Canadiens' first goal just 4:30 into the game, Pittsburgh certainly rebounded nicely.
The Pens came back with two power-play goals to take a 2-1 lead against a goaltender that hasn't allowed more than one goal in each of his last three contests.
Pittsburgh has also killed off a penalty of its own.
Both teams have gotten off seven shots, but it seems like the Penguins have dictated the pace of this one so far. We'll see if Halak and the Habs can rebound in the second period after falling a bit flat to close out the first.
First period, 2:07, Penguins 2-1: Matt Cooke takes a hit from P.K. Subban behind the net, but he lays out a perfect centering pass first — unfortunately, though, Evgeni Malkin isn't there to hammer it home.
Shots on goal are knotted at six right now.
First period, 6:10, Penguins 2-1: Jordan Staal makes Pittsburgh 2-for-2 on the power play in the semifinals.
That's his second thus far in the playoffs.
Already, this is the most goals Halak has given up in his last four games.
First period, 8:14, 1-1: Boston Public Enemy No. 1 gets attacked by a band of Canadiens after he lays out Andrei Markov, nailing him with his shoulder into the boards.
It's a clean hit, but Markov's right leg buckles.
Cooke goes without a penalty, but Scott Gomez goes into the box for roughing after the melee.
First period, 11:22, 1-1: Gionta's penalty really comes back to bite him.
Sergei Gonchar hammers a one-timer on net, and his first attempt is all for naught, but seconds later, he fires in another one and it deflects off a Montreal defender past Jaroslav Halak. Prior to the goal, lots of good movement between Gonchar , Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin.
The Pittsburgh power play now has eight goals in 29 chances in the playoffs this season.
First period, 12:27, Canadiens 1-0: The power play is killed off — that should provide a little bit of momentum for Pittsburgh.
Coming out of the box, Evgeni Malkin gets tripped up by Brian Gionta, and there's a delayed penalty. Now it's the Pens turn on the man advantage.
First period, 15:30, Canadiens 1-0: After the Pens dictated the pace in the early going, the Habs somehow get on the board first, courtesy of rookie P.K. Subban. He tees up from the offensive blue line for his first career playoff goal, unassisted.
The puck goes right underneath Marc Andre-Fleury's pad, taking a funny bounce and pinballing off him.
Shortly thereafter, Evgeni Malkin heads into the box for interference. First goal and subsequent power play? Montreal will take it.
First period, 19:03: And we're off.
Jordan Staal gets an early shot off on Halak but he makes the save within the first minute. So much for jitters.
7:04 p.m.: Almost time for faceoff.
In his last three games, Montreal's Jaroslav Halak is 3-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .978 save percentage. Will the good fortunate continue against the pens? We'll soon find out.
8:05 a.m.: The Canadiens are the feel-good story of the playoffs thus far — a strange concept for Bruins fans to grasp, especially if they rooted for the Habs in Game 7 against the Capitals, just so the B's would get to play the Flyers instead of the Penguins.
But will momentum and a hot goaltender be enough to carry Montreal further into this postseason?
Jaroslav Halak was a primary factor in the Habs' shocking upset of top-seeded Washington in the quarterfinals, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.46 ERA and a .939 save percentage. Halak stopped a whopping 131 of the final 134 shots he faced in the series.
His opponent will be Marc Andre Fleury, who was a bit underwhelming in the quarterfinals, going 4-2 with a 2.75 GAA and a .890 save percentage as the Pens beat Ottawa in six games.
Halak is hot right now, but there may be no goaltender who is too hot for Sidney Crosby. The Penguins golden boy leads the playoffs in points with 14, registering five goals and nine assists thus far.
The Penguins took three of four from Montreal in the season series, but the Habs took the final meeting on Feb. 6, winning 5-3. The Pens outscored the Canadiens 15-9 overall.
Faceoff is set for just after 7 p.m.
