Our Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins preview covers the odds, puck line, total, start time, TV channel and where to watch on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The Montreal Canadiens (1-0-0 this season; 48-24-10 in 2025-26) visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (1-0-0 this season; 41-25-16 in 2025-26) at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local). TV: Sportsnet East / TVA Sports (Canada) / SportsNet Pittsburgh (U.S.).
Home-opener storyline: The Penguins host their first home game of the season at PPG Paints Arena after a 7-0 win at Philadelphia on Sept. 30, and forward Andrei Kuzmenko is expected to make his Pittsburgh debut after returning to practice Friday following his father’s death (NHL.com). Montreal, last season’s Eastern Conference finalist, is 1-0-0 after a 3-2 win at Toronto on Sept. 29 and has had three days off since. DraftKings lists Montreal at -130 and Pittsburgh at +110 on the moneyline, with the total at 6.5.
Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins Odds, Puck Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Montreal Canadiens @ Pittsburgh Penguins |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 Records | Montreal Canadiens 1-0-0 | Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0-0 |
| 2025-26 Records | Montreal Canadiens 48-24-10 | Pittsburgh Penguins 41-25-16 |
| Head Coaches | MTL: Martin St. Louis (6th season) | PIT: Dan Muse (2nd season) |
| Puck Line | MTL -1.5 (+200) | PIT +1.5 (-245) |
| Moneyline | Montreal Canadiens: -130 | Pittsburgh Penguins: +110 |
| Total | O/U 6.5 (o+102 / u-122) |
| Venue | PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, Pa.) |
| Date / Time | Saturday, October 3, 2026 — 7:00 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | Sportsnet East / TVA Sports (Canada) / SportsNet Pittsburgh (U.S.) |
| Probable Starting Goalies | MTL: TBD (Jakub Dobes / Samuel Montembeault) | PIT: TBD (Arturs Silovs / Sergei Murashov) |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN), cross-checked on Action Network, as of Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, ~10:22 PM ET. Totals ranged from 6 to 6.5 across books at research time. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. Starting goalies had not been confirmed at research time.
Montreal Canadiens Preview: Last Season, Offseason & Goalies
2025-26 recap: Montreal went 48-24-10 (106 points) and finished third in the Atlantic Division, then beat Tampa Bay and Buffalo in seven games each before losing to Carolina in five in the Eastern Conference Final. The Canadiens averaged 3.44 goals per game, sixth in the NHL (NHL.com). Captain Nick Suzuki had 101 points (29 goals, 72 assists), Cole Caufield scored a career-high 51 goals, Lane Hutson had 78 points and Ivan Demidov had 62 as a 20-year-old.
Offseason moves: Longtime winger Brendan Gallagher was traded to Vancouver, and Joe Veleno signed with the Rangers. Montreal added forward Brett Berard and defenseman Reilly Walsh, and Demidov signed an eight-year extension on July 1. Forward Chris Kreider, whose contract was terminated by Anaheim on Sept. 10, dressed for Montreal in the opener (NHL.com, ESPN).
Key players & coach: Suzuki centers Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky (30 goals) on the top line, with Demidov, Alex Newhook, Josh Anderson and Kirby Dach also up front. Hutson, Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson drive the blue line. Martin St. Louis is in his sixth season as coach.
Goalies: Jakub Dobes went 29-10-4 with a 2.78 GAA and .901 save percentage in 43 games last season, took the No. 1 job from Samuel Montembeault, started all 19 playoff games and signed a three-year extension (NHL.com). He made 26 saves on 28 shots in the opener. Montembeault (10-8-4, 3.43 GAA, .872 save percentage) is the backup on Montreal’s current roster. Montreal had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Season opener recap: Montreal won 3-2 at Toronto on Sept. 29. Anderson, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Carrier scored, with Carrier’s goal at 13:12 of the third period holding up as the winner. William Nylander scored both Toronto goals (NHL.com).
Injuries: Defenseman Kaiden Guhle is on injured reserve after groin surgery, forward Oliver Kapanen (lower body) is day to day, and Lucas Condotta and Bryce Pickford are on IR (ESPN).
Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: Home Opener After a 7-0 Start
2025-26 recap: Pittsburgh went 41-25-16 (98 points), finished second in the Metropolitan Division and returned to the playoffs after a three-year absence. The Penguins scored 3.54 goals per game, third in the NHL, and led the league in high-danger shots on goal (NHL.com). Captain Sidney Crosby led the team with 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) in 68 games. Philadelphia eliminated Pittsburgh in six games in the first round.
Offseason moves: GM Kyle Dubas described a conservative summer. Anthony Mantha (33 goals) signed with New Jersey, and Pittsburgh signed Kuzmenko to a one-year, $5 million contract. The Penguins also acquired forward Nicholas Robertson from Toronto and signed him to a two-year deal, signed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and traded Parker Wotherspoon to Vegas for defenseman Kaedan Korczak. Goalie Stuart Skinner (Winnipeg) and forward Noel Acciari (Philadelphia) left. Evgeni Malkin re-signed for a 21st season, and Ville Koivunen signed an eight-year contract.
Key players & coach: Crosby, entering his 22nd season, Malkin, Erik Karlsson (66 points) and Kris Letang remain the core. Rickard Rakell, Tommy Novak, Robertson and Egor Chinakhov, who had 36 points in 43 games after arriving from Columbus last season, round out the top six. Dan Muse is in his second season as coach.
Goalies: Arturs Silovs (19-12-8, 3.07 GAA, .888 save percentage in 39 games last season) made 19 saves for the shutout in the opener. Sergei Murashov, 22, is the backup. Pittsburgh had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Season opener recap: Pittsburgh won 7-0 at Philadelphia on Sept. 30. Robertson scored twice, once short-handed, Malkin and Chinakhov scored on the power play, and Koivunen, Hendrix Lapierre and Filip Hallander also scored. Hallander had a goal and two assists, and the Penguins outshot the Flyers 38-19 (NHL.com).
Injuries: Forward Bryan Rust (upper body), Ben Kindel (lower body), Justin Brazeau (lower body) and defenseman Ryan Graves (knee) are on injured reserve, and Blake Lizotte (lower body) is day to day (ESPN). Kuzmenko, who left the team Sept. 24, returned to practice Friday (NHL.com Status Report, Oct. 2).
Key Matchup Notes: Canadiens vs Penguins
- Schedule spot: It is Pittsburgh’s home opener. Montreal has not played since Sept. 29, and Pittsburgh has had two days off since its opener.
- Last season: Montreal won two of three meetings, 4-2 in Pittsburgh on Dec. 11 and 4-0 at home on Dec. 20, 2025. Pittsburgh won 4-3 in a shootout at home on Dec. 21 (NHL.com).
- Scoring: Pittsburgh ranked third in the NHL in scoring last season (3.54 goals per game) and Montreal sixth (3.44).
- In goal: Silovs opened with a 19-save shutout. Dobes posted a .901 save percentage last season and started every playoff game for Montreal.
- New faces: Kuzmenko is expected to debut for Pittsburgh, and Kreider dressed for Montreal in its opener.
- Odds snapshot: Montreal -130 / Pittsburgh +110 on the moneyline, Canadiens -1.5 (+200) on the puck line, total 6.5 (DraftKings).
How to Watch Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Puck drop: 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local)
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.
TV: Sportsnet East and TVA Sports have the game in Canada, and SportsNet Pittsburgh carries it in the Penguins’ market (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming in the U.S. No U.S. national TV broadcast is listed.
Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 3, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.