On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins are set to face off against the Montreal Canadiens for the second time this season.
And, fittingly, one of the most prolific French Canadiens in Penguins’ history is primed for yet another milestone.
Defenseman Kris Letang will be skating in his 1,100th career game on Saturday, which is a special accomplishment for a player who has overcome so much. He told NHL.com that he wasn’t even sure if he was going to play 500 games after facing adversity from a neck injury and two strokes over the course of his career.
‘”It’s just pretty special,” Letang said. “It’s a long journey. You just learn so many things throughout, and you adjust. I think it was a hard road, but I think I did a good job of finding ways to treat my body better and prepare myself to be able to play as many as I can.”
Letang comes into Saturday with two goals and four points on the young season, and he has registered 168 goals and 746 points in his NHL career to this point. He scored a goal in the Penguins’ Oct. 14 matchup against the Canadiens.
In other news, goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic will get his second consecutive start between the pipes after earning the win against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. He stopped 22 of 23 Anaheim shots and made several big stops during a late-game push in regulation to preserve the tie, allowing Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby to score the game-winning goal in overtime for the 2-1 victory.
He will be opposite Sam Montembault, who is 3-4 on the season with a 3.39 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage.
Evgeni Malkin will also be in the lineup after missing practice on Friday for a “maintenance day,” per head coach Mike Sullivan.
The Penguins will deploy the same lineup that they had against the Ducks:
The Penguins won their last tilt against the Habs, 6-3, in convincing fashion. Ex-Canadien Lars Eller scored twice, and Malkin registered a goal and three points. The Canadiens are coming off two consecutive losses to the Seattle Kraken and the Washington Capitals.
