Canadiens visit Penguins seeking 4th straight win to begin season

​There are definitely some oddities when breaking down the first week of the NHL season for the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Canadiens, who struggled to score last season, have 10 goals in three road games. And all four lines are contributing to the scoring. Pittsburgh isn't scoring, having notched one in two contests, courtesy of newcomer Phil Kessel. The Penguins also dropped their first two games of a season for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.

What we're used to seeing is Montreal goaltending Carey Price bail out his offensively challenged teammates, and the defending Vezina Trophy (top goalie) winner and NHL MVP has been strong early on, posting a 2-0 record, 1.50 goals-against average and .948 save percentage.

He'll be in goal Tuesday (7 p.m. ET) when the Canadiens visit Pittsburgh to wrap up their four-game road trip. Sporting a career 10-10-3 record and 2.93 GAA in 24 starts versus Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, Price was solid against them last season with a 1-1-1 mark and 2.24 GAA.

"We have played some good goalies, but every goalie is good in this league," Crosby told Pittsburgh reporters on the weekend. "You still have to find ways or adjust or find rebounds or bury the chances we do [get]."

Kessel 1, Crosby 0

That will be the challenge Tuesday for Sid the Kid, who didn't register a shot on goal in losses to Dallas (3-0) and Arizona (2-1) while Kessel, who arrived in a July 1 trade from Toronto, had nine and, unlike any of his teammates, is on pace for a 41-goal season.

Kessel has enjoyed his fair share of success against the Canadiens, collecting 43 points on 17 goals and 26 assists in 49 meetings while playing with Toronto.

What the Penguins and Canadiens do have in common is a struggling power play. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Johnston reportedly is considering putting Evgeni Malkin and Crosby together with the man advantage as the Pens, who open a five-game homestand, are 0-for-14 on the power play this season while Montreal is 0-for-7.

"We know we can score goals," said Pittsburgh centre Nick Bonino. "Guys have done it their whole careers. There's no panic."

While Pittsburgh looks to avoid its first three-game winless stretch to begin a season since 2005-06, the Canadiens are vying to emerge victorious in their first four contests for the first time since 1977-78.

The 0-2-0 Penguins already trail the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers by six points, while Montreal is tied atop the Atlantic with Tampa Bay at 3-0-0.

NOTES:

- Pittsburgh, which won two of three in the season series in 2014-15, has recorded 20 of a possible 26 points (9-2-2) in its last 13 meetings with Montreal.

- Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin has 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 28 career meetings with Montreal.