Pittsburgh PenguinsPIT 0–4 Final Montréal CanadiensMTL

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Final 1st2nd3rd T SOG
Pittsburgh PenguinsPIT 000 0 31
Montréal CanadiensMTL 211 4 21

No impact calculated for this game. Impacts are calculated for games in the next 7 days.

Highlights

Scoring

1st Period
16:41 MTL Juraj Slafkovský (10)PP Cole Caufield (18), Nick Suzuki (30) · snap xG 0.19 0–1 ▶
18:49 MTL Owen Beck (1) Brendan Gallagher (10), Lane Hutson (27) · snap xG 0.08 0–2 ▶
2nd Period
12:14 MTL Josh Anderson (7)SH Oliver Kapanen (7) · snap xG 0.19 0–3 ▶
3rd Period
17:02 MTL Josh Anderson (8)EN Unassisted · wrist xG 0.23 0–4 ▶

Score away–home after each goal; season totals in parentheses.

Shot quality

Expected goals (xG) rate every unblocked shot by how often shots like it go in, from where it was taken, the shot type, the strength and what happened just before it. How it works

PIT 72%Deserve to win28% MTL
PITMTL
3.84Expected goals4.56
0Goals (no shootout)4
2.87Expected goals, 5 on 51.81
69Shot attempts50
52Unblocked attempts37
31Shots on goal21

Game notes

What stood out as the game went on, from the play-by-play and the shifts. Time on the bench is counted in 5-on-5 play outside the penalty box; the note says the player sat, not why. Goals saved are against the shots' expected goals (xG).

1st Period
14:20 MTL No shift No shift · Evans, 46:09 on the bench
No shift after 3:48 of the 1st; 3 shifts (1:57) before that
2nd Period
13:23 MTL Goalie Goalie · Fowler +2.1 goals saved
0 goals on 2.08 xG, 13 shots on goal
3rd Period
14:40 PIT xG swing xG swing · Out-chanced MTL 1.41–0.08
In xG over 10 minutes, 8:00 to 18:00 of the 3rd; goals 0–1

Shot map

PIT shoots ←Bigger circle: higher xG; filled: goal→ MTL shoots
Noah Dobson: slap, 42 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 3:11) Josh Anderson: snap, 36 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 3:49) Kevin Hayes: snap, 25 ft, xG 0.20 (P1 5:16) Noel Acciari: snap, 19 ft, xG 0.14 (P1 5:18) Rickard Rakell: snap, 20 ft, xG 0.16 (P1 6:06) Arber Xhekaj: snap, 34 ft, xG 0.09 (P1 6:54) Nick Suzuki: snap, 63 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 7:20) Cole Caufield: tip-in, 11 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 7:35) Kevin Hayes: backhand, 14 ft, xG 0.12 (P1 8:12) Anthony Mantha: snap, 21 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 8:35) Rutger McGroarty: snap, 44 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 9:43) Cole Caufield: snap, 10 ft, xG 0.11 (P1 11:38) Joseph Veleno: snap, 28 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 11:53) Joseph Veleno: snap, 30 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 11:55) Brendan Gallagher: tip-in, 12 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 12:35) Justin Brazeau: tip-in, 17 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 13:32) Erik Karlsson: slap, 61 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 14:07) Owen Beck: tip-in, 18 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 15:40) Cole Caufield: snap, 19 ft, xG 0.14 (P1 16:32) Sidney Crosby: backhand, 13 ft, xG 0.10 (P1 17:29) Ville Koivunen: snap, 29 ft, xG 0.07 (P1 19:05) Erik Karlsson: snap, 72 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 19:09) Tommy Novak: backhand, 19 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 19:46) Kris Letang: poke, 26 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 19:48) Zachary Bolduc: tip-in, 35 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 0:37) Connor Dewar: snap, 9 ft, xG 0.21 (P2 0:50) Rickard Rakell: snap, 27 ft, xG 0.16 (P2 3:16) Zachary Bolduc: tip-in, 28 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 3:44) Noah Dobson: snap, 54 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 4:12) Adam Engstrom: snap, 61 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 4:17) Ville Koivunen: snap, 41 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 8:30) Ryan Shea: snap, 70 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 9:09) Cole Caufield: snap, 16 ft, xG 0.20 (P2 9:29) Zachary Bolduc: snap, 11 ft, xG 0.07 (P2 9:30) Nick Suzuki: backhand, 6 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 9:31) Erik Karlsson: snap, 66 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 10:16) Justin Brazeau: snap, 13 ft, xG 0.09 (P2 10:35) Bryan Rust: snap, 11 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 10:38) Parker Wotherspoon: slap, 59 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 10:47) Tommy Novak: backhand, 17 ft, xG 0.10 (P2 11:06) Anthony Mantha: snap, 9 ft, xG 0.16 (P2 11:42) Justin Brazeau: snap, 12 ft, xG 0.18 (P2 13:23) Cole Caufield: backhand, 6 ft, xG 0.17 (P2 14:09) Juraj Slafkovský: snap, 32 ft, xG 0.12 (P2 15:02) Adam Engstrom: snap, 44 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 15:04) Mike Matheson: snap, 64 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 15:08) Rutger McGroarty: snap, 31 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 16:33) Rickard Rakell: snap, 5 ft, xG 0.09 (P2 17:10) Parker Wotherspoon: snap, 63 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 18:10) Josh Anderson: snap, 17 ft, xG 0.23 (P2 18:46) Ben Kindel: snap, 44 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 1:07) Zachary Bolduc: tip-in, 9 ft, xG 0.10 (P3 4:32) Connor Dewar: snap, 38 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 6:43) Connor Dewar: snap, 41 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 6:51) Josh Anderson: deflected, 13 ft, xG 0.12 (P3 7:06) Rickard Rakell: snap, 7 ft, xG 0.20 (P3 8:38) Sidney Crosby: slap, 42 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 9:04) Sidney Crosby: snap, 33 ft, xG 0.07 (P3 9:18) Nick Suzuki: slap, 32 ft, xG 0.06 (P3 9:44) Bryan Rust: snap, 27 ft, xG 0.13 (P3 10:02) Anthony Mantha: snap, 7 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 10:03) Bryan Rust: snap, 30 ft, xG 0.13 (P3 10:12) Bryan Rust: snap, 39 ft, xG 0.07 (P3 10:25) Sidney Crosby: backhand, 21 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 10:27) Brendan Gallagher: snap, 66 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 10:38) Adam Engstrom: snap, 65 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 11:11) Ville Koivunen: backhand, 5 ft, xG 0.09 (P3 11:27) Rickard Rakell: backhand, 8 ft, xG 0.17 (P3 12:37) Rickard Rakell: backhand, 5 ft, xG 0.08 (P3 12:38) Rickard Rakell: backhand, 4 ft, xG 0.08 (P3 12:39) Sidney Crosby: snap, 5 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 12:40) Erik Karlsson: slap, 60 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 12:48) Mike Matheson: snap, 139 ft, xG 0.40 (P3 13:14) Joseph Veleno: snap, 65 ft, xG 0.21 (P3 14:57) Bryan Rust: tip-in, 11 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 15:24) Josh Anderson: snap, 96 ft, xG 0.39 (P3 16:11) Juraj Slafkovský: snap, 56 ft, xG 0.53 (P3 16:19) Juraj Slafkovský: snap, 104 ft, xG 0.32 (P3 16:46) Ryan Shea: slap, 33 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 17:34) Connor Clifton: snap, 49 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 17:39) Kevin Hayes: snap, 28 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 17:47) Connor Dewar: snap, 22 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 17:55) Tommy Novak: snap, 18 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 18:50) Anthony Mantha: snap, 51 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 19:00) Tommy Novak: wrap-around, 6 ft, xG 0.11 (P3 19:03) Juraj Slafkovský: GOAL, snap, 22 ft, xG 0.19 (P1 16:41) Owen Beck: GOAL, snap, 34 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 18:49) Josh Anderson: GOAL, snap, 24 ft, xG 0.19 (P2 12:14) Josh Anderson: GOAL, wrist, 110 ft, xG 0.23 (P3 17:02)
About these numbers

xG comes from hockeystats.io's own model, a gradient-boosted tree model trained on every unblocked shot from the 2021-22 to 2025-26 regular seasons using the NHL's public play-by-play. Each shot's value is the share of similar shots that became goals. A team's xG is the sum over its shots; "deserve to win" asks how often the team would outscore its opponent if every shot went in at exactly that rate. Blocked shots count as attempts but have no xG (the NHL records where they were blocked, not where they were taken), so the map leaves them out.

Box score

Pittsburgh Penguins

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
87 Sidney Crosby 000 -2 80.28 2021:09
17 Bryan Rust 000 -2 60.39 1221:02
39 Anthony Mantha 000 -3 60.27 1018:29
18 Tommy Novak 000 0 40.29 2117:52
67 Rickard Rakell 000 -3 70.93 1117:48
81 Ben Kindel 000 0 20.01 0114:40
16 Justin Brazeau 000 -1 30.35 3014:28
13 Kevin Hayes 000 0 30.34 1013:44
52 Noel Acciari 000 0 10.14 1113:01
2 Rutger McGroarty 000 0 20.05 1012:32
19 Connor Dewar 000 0 40.32 1012:20
41 Ville Koivunen 000 0 30.21 0012:05
Defense
65 Erik Karlsson 000 -3 80.07 1124:29
58 Kris Letang 000 -1 20.06 1221:48
29 Parker Wotherspoon 000 -1 30.04 1120:06
6 Ryan Shea 000 0 30.06 1017:08
27 Brett Kulak 000 0 00.00 0315:32
75 Connor Clifton 000 0 40.03 6015:18
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Stuart Skinner 20317 .850 2.47 -0.53

Montréal Canadiens

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
14 Nick Suzuki 011 0 40.11 0219:13
91 Oliver Kapanen 011 +1 10.00 1218:10
20 Juraj Slafkovský 101 +1 41.16 0316:33
90 Joseph Veleno 000 +1 30.31 4216:26
17 Josh Anderson 202 +2 61.18 2116:12
13 Cole Caufield 011 0 50.71 0015:25
85 Alexandre Texier 000 +1 30.00 1014:50
93 Ivan Demidov 000 0 00.00 1014:21
76 Zachary Bolduc 000 0 60.25 0014:13
7 Brendan Gallagher 011 +1 20.08 0013:58
62 Owen Beck 101 +1 20.16 3013:18
71 Jake Evans 000 0 00.00 1001:57
Defense
8 Mike Matheson 000 +2 40.40 0126:48
48 Lane Hutson 011 +1 00.00 1323:50
45 Alexandre Carrier 000 +1 00.00 0122:22
53 Noah Dobson 000 +2 30.06 0121:53
72 Arber Xhekaj 000 0 30.09 2013:19
42 Adam Engstrom 000 0 40.04 0011:12
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Jacob Fowler 31031 1.000 3.84 +3.84

Skaters by time on ice. Goalie lines count shots with the goalie in net, from the NHL play-by-play.

Player ratings

What each player added to the result, in goals, from most to least. Hover a number for what it's made of.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
67 Rickard Rakell R +1.22 0.00 +0.61 +0.59 0.00 -0.03 +0.05 — 17:48
16 Justin Brazeau R +1.02 0.00 +0.23 +0.79 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 14:28
13 Kevin Hayes R +0.96 0.00 +0.22 +0.97 -0.15 -0.04 -0.04 — 13:44
39 Anthony Mantha R +0.81 0.00 +0.17 +0.65 0.00 -0.01 0.00 — 18:29
65 Erik Karlsson D +0.77 0.00 +0.05 +0.69 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 24:29
28 Parker Wotherspoon D +0.76 0.00 +0.02 +0.66 0.00 0.00 +0.07 — 20:06
18 Tommy Novak C +0.67 0.00 +0.19 +0.29 +0.15 +0.01 +0.03 — 17:52
17 Bryan Rust R +0.62 0.00 +0.25 +0.33 0.00 0.00 +0.04 — 21:02
77 Brett Kulak D +0.44 0.00 0.00 +0.33 0.00 0.00 +0.11 — 15:32
58 Kris Letang D +0.36 0.00 +0.04 +0.23 0.00 0.00 +0.10 — 21:48
55 Noel Acciari C +0.34 0.00 +0.09 +0.18 0.00 +0.02 +0.05 — 13:01
19 Connor Dewar C +0.31 0.00 +0.21 +0.11 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 12:20
87 Sidney Crosby C +0.15 0.00 +0.18 -0.10 0.00 +0.13 -0.06 — 21:09
75 Connor Clifton D +0.12 0.00 +0.02 +0.12 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 15:18
81 Ben Kindel C +0.04 0.00 +0.01 -0.02 0.00 +0.02 +0.03 — 14:40
2 Rutger McGroarty R -0.05 0.00 +0.03 -0.21 +0.15 0.00 -0.02 — 12:32
5 Ryan Shea D -0.17 0.00 +0.04 -0.21 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 17:08
41 Ville Koivunen R -0.24 0.00 +0.13 -0.35 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 12:05
74 Stuart Skinner G -0.53 0.00 — — 0.00 — — -0.53 55:38

Montréal Canadiens

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
32 Jacob Fowler G +3.84 0.00 — — 0.00 — — +3.84 60:00
13 Cole Caufield R +2.17 +0.70 +0.46 +1.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 15:25
17 Josh Anderson R +1.97 +1.50 +0.77 -0.35 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 16:12
76 Zachary Bolduc R +0.74 0.00 +0.16 +0.58 0.00 -0.01 0.00 — 14:13
14 Nick Suzuki C +0.58 +0.55 +0.07 -0.01 -0.15 0.00 +0.12 — 19:13
62 Owen Beck C +0.57 +0.75 +0.10 -0.27 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 13:18
90 Joseph Veleno C +0.46 0.00 +0.20 +0.05 +0.15 -0.04 +0.10 — 16:26
11 Brendan Gallagher R +0.38 +0.70 +0.05 -0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 13:58
20 Juraj Slafkovský L +0.37 +0.75 +0.75 -1.28 0.00 0.00 +0.15 — 16:33
45 Alexandre Carrier D +0.14 0.00 0.00 +0.09 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 22:22
71 Jake Evans C 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 1:57
8 Mike Matheson D 0.00 0.00 +0.26 -0.29 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 26:48
48 Lane Hutson D -0.09 +0.55 0.00 -0.62 -0.15 0.00 +0.13 — 23:50
91 Oliver Kapanen C -0.15 +0.70 0.00 -0.94 0.00 -0.01 +0.10 — 18:10
42 Adam Engstrom D -0.30 0.00 +0.03 -0.29 0.00 0.00 -0.04 — 11:12
53 Noah Dobson D -0.36 0.00 +0.04 -0.45 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 21:53
85 Alexandre Texier L -0.52 0.00 0.00 -0.50 0.00 -0.04 +0.02 — 14:50
72 Arber Xhekaj D -0.54 0.00 +0.06 -0.45 -0.15 0.00 0.00 — 13:19
93 Ivan Demidov R -0.95 0.00 0.00 -0.95 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 14:21

An expected-goals take on Dom Luszczyszyn's Game Score: goals and assists, the quality of a player's own shots, shot quality for and against while they were on the ice at 5v5, penalties, faceoffs and puck plays, all in goals; goalies by goals saved above expected. From the NHL play-by-play and shift charts.