Penguins Fly North: Pittsburgh Looks To Knock Out 2nd Canadian Team

Hockey crazed Canadians might not be their biggest fans, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are headed north tonight looking to take a lead in their second series against a Canadian team. The Ottawa Senators gave them a bit of a scare in round one, and the Montreal Canadiens could be equally difficult for the defending Stanley Cup champions. Tonight's match-up, being the first game of the series in Montreal, could be a pivotal one for either team to take the overall advantage.

Montreal is coming into this game having taken the playoff hopes away from the top team in the regular season, losing game one of this series and winning a huge game two in Pittsburgh. They've proven they belong in the playoffs and are showing Pittsburgh what they're made of. Everyone on the Penguins is expecting a crazy crowd and an even crazier game, so it should be an interesting one.

The key tonight and for Montreal's future in this year's playoffs will not be Halak but the guys right in front of him. We know they can score and we know Halak will stop endless shots like he has in previous games, but it's time to step up the D. Just because your goalie is hot doesn't mean you should let him face 40,50,60 shots a night. That's not the way to win in the playoffs, especially against a team with scorers like Crosby and Malkin.

Fortunately for the Habs, the pressure is all on Pittsburgh. The Pens came into the postseason with targets on their backs because they're looking for a repeat performance of last year's Stanley Cup victory. They had a hard time with Ottawa, and since Montreal isn't going to hand it to them, Pittsburgh must win tonight's game. They need to show the Canadiens that they don't care about home ice advantage and that Montreal needs to earn every goal.

It should be a great game and keep this series up for grabs. Even though Montreal has the momentum, I think Pittsburgh will take this game because they have the experience and realize what winning tonight could mean. It could mean a momentum shift to their side, another victory in the Bell Centre and ultimately the series win.

Pittsburgh wins 4 - 2.