Penguins vs. Canadiens: Tommy Novak's OT Winner Rescues Pittsburgh After Montreal Erases a Four-Goal Lead

The Pittsburgh Penguins led by four goals in the second period. With 44 seconds left in regulation, they were tied. Tommy Novak made sure the collapse was only a footnote.

Novak finished a 2-on-1 feed from Evgeni Malkin 1:33 into overtime for his second goal of the night, and the Penguins beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena after watching a 5-1 lead disappear. Malkin had a goal and two assists, and Sidney Crosby picked up the 1,109th assist of his career, tying Joe Thornton for seventh in NHL history.

A Night for the Legends

The building was primed before the puck dropped. Mario Lemieux took part in a ceremonial puck drop to celebrate the Penguins' 60th season, per the AP, and this was Pittsburgh's first home game after opening with a 7-0 win at Philadelphia.

Montreal spoiled the mood early. Cole Caufield skated into the right circle and beat Arturs Silovs' blocker at 3:49 of the first, on just Montreal's second shot of the game. Then Malkin reminded everyone how this franchise operates. With Mike Matheson off for interference, Malkin backhanded home the rebound of a Kris Letang shot at 14:07 to tie it 1-1.

That goal carried real weight. NHL.com noted Malkin is the second 40-year-old in NHL history to score in each of his first two games of a season, joining Gordie Howe in 1968-69. The AP added that Malkin recorded his 1,411th career point on the night, passing Dale Hawerchuk for 22nd place in NHL history.

The Four-Goal Second Period

Pittsburgh owned the middle frame. Declan Carlile snapped a wrist shot from the right circle 32 seconds into the period for a 2-1 lead. At 7:59, Crosby slipped a backhand pass to Samuel Girard at the top of the crease, and Girard made it 3-1 for Crosby's milestone assist. Novak finished a 2-on-1 with Egor Chinakhov at 14:01, and Ben Kindel, activated from injured reserve after missing the opener with a lower-body injury, redirected an Erik Karlsson point shot on the power play at 15:32. It was 5-1, and the AP noted the Penguins outshot Montreal 23-5 during a 25-minute stretch.

"We were playing pond hockey at times, turning the puck over," Canadiens forward Chris Kreider said, per NHL.com. "Any team is going to jump on those turnovers, especially that team."

Nick Suzuki split the defense and scored on a backhand at 18:46, a goal that looked like a consolation prize at the time. It was the first crack in the wall.

The Turning Point: A Challenge, Then a Collapse

Caufield's second goal of the night, a wrister from the high slot at 3:31 of the third, made it 5-3. Two minutes later, Chinakhov appeared to restore the three-goal cushion, but Montreal challenged and the goal was wiped out for offside. That was the moment the night changed. Pittsburgh never scored again in regulation.

With Jakub Dobes pulled for an extra attacker, Suzuki went to work. He fed Kreider for a one-timer in the slot with 1:08 left, then threaded a pass through the crease to Ivan Demidov at the right post with 44 seconds remaining. Two goals, 24 seconds apart, and suddenly there was overtime.

"We're a skilled enough team to score in those situations and get a point," Suzuki said. "We have to clean some stuff up, obviously."

Overtime lasted 1:33. Malkin and Novak broke out on a 2-on-1, Malkin made the pass, and Novak ripped a wrist shot from the right circle past Dobes.

"Anytime you kind of give up a lead like that, it feels good to come through with the two points," Novak said. "That's huge."

Stars of the Night

Novak had two goals and an assist in 14:42. Malkin had a goal and two assists in 19:41. Crosby won 15 of 29 face-offs to go with his assist, and Karlsson and Letang each had two assists. Silovs made 20 saves on 25 shots.

For Montreal, Suzuki had a goal and three assists, including the setups on both late goals that forced overtime. Lane Hutson had three assists in a massive 29:06 of ice time. Caufield scored twice in 22:50, which tracks: NHL.com noted he led the NHL with 21 goals in Saturday night games last season. Kreider and Demidov each had a goal and an assist, and Dobes made 24 saves on 30 shots. NHL.com also reported that defenseman Alexandre Carrier left in the second period with an undisclosed injury.

Stats That Matter

• 5-1: Pittsburgh's lead after Kindel's goal midway through the second.
• 23-5: The Penguins' shot edge during a 25-minute stretch, per the AP.
• 24 seconds: The gap between Kreider's and Demidov's late goals.
• 1,109: Career assists for Crosby, tied with Thornton for seventh all time.
• 28-9: Montreal's edge in hits.

What It Means

Pittsburgh is 2-0-0, and coach Dan Muse knows the second half of this game cannot become a habit. "There's some more things to clean up after tonight, for sure," he said. The Penguins host Winnipeg on Monday before playing six of their next seven games on the road.

Montreal is 1-0-1 after beating Toronto 3-2 in its opener and still banked a point. The AP noted the Canadiens, who reached the Eastern Conference Final last season, were trying to win their first two games of a season for the first time since 2015-16. Coach Martin St. Louis was blunt about what went wrong. "Once the brain goes, it's hard to prevent stuff," he said. Montreal opens a four-game homestand against Carolina on Tuesday.

Closing Take

Malkin is 40 and playing like he found the Benjamin Button script. Crosby is climbing the all-time lists one backhand pass at a time. And Novak, on a roster stacked with marquee names, got the last word on a night that nearly turned into a horror movie. Pittsburgh will take the two points and maybe skip the second viewing.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details from the Associated Press; postgame quotes and notes as reported by NHL.com.