CANADIENS AT PENGUINS

Pat Hickey lists five things to know about Saturday’s Habs-Pens game (7 p.m., CITY, TVA Sports, TSN 690).

1.

Busy time for Price?

Carey Price will start in goal and with no back-to-back games in October, Price could be looking at a busy month. Canadiens coach Claude Julien said the calendar provides his No. 1 goaltender with an opportunity to get ample rest between games, but at the same time he has to find work for backup Antti Niemi. “It’s a long season and you don’t want your backup to sit too long and get rusty,” said Julien.

2.

Drouin has to be better

Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Plekanec spent some extra time on the ice after practice Friday. Plekanec probably felt he needed the time because he’s a healthy scratch for the first time in his career. As for Drouin, he might have been doing some penance because he didn’t play well in the season opener.

3.

Kotkaniemi gets tutored

Rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a successful debut in Toronto, earning an assist for his first NHL point and displaying the poise of a veteran when carrying the puck. The one disappointing aspect of his game was his faceoffs. He won only one of seven draws and Julien had Drouin and Joel Armia replace him in the faceoff circle in the third period. Plekanec took Kotkaniemi aside during Friday for some one-on-one instruction.

4.

Armia does it all

Armia is proving to be a useful addition to the Canadiens lineup. He is playing on a line with fellow Finn Kotkaniemi and Drouin and Julien is confident he can use Armia in any situation. In Toronto, he was on the ice for 18:50, more than any other forward, and played on the power-play and penalty-kill units. He delivered a game-high five hits, blocked a shot and won two of his three faceoffs.

5.

Get ready for a track meet

The Habs have been emphasizing speed this season and their quickness will be put to the test against the Penguins, who opened their season Thursday with a 7-6 overtime win over the Washington Capitals. The Penguins have the usual suspects in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but added Derick Brassard late last season and Kris Letang is healthy.