Penguins expected to start Tristan Jarry in net vs. Montreal

The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to start Tristan Jarry in net Saturday night vs. the Montreal Canadiens, coach Mike Sullivan announced a few hours before puck drop.

Over 30 starts this year, Jarry is 12-14-4 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.

Alex Nedeljkovic got the call Friday, making 29 saves on 31 shots in an eventual 3-2 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers.

The Canadiens announced they will start Jake Allen, who is 5-9-2 on the season with a 3.46 GAA and .900 save percentage.

Saturday evening marks the final contest for the Penguins (21-17-7) ahead of the annual All-Star break, at which Sidney Crosby will serve as the team’s lone representative.

The 36-year-old has a team-high 27 goals plus 22 assists so far this season and is making his 10th career All-Star Game appearance.

Following Saturday, the club’s next game is at home on Feb. 6 vs. Winnipeg.

Notes:

• Saturday’s puck drop between the Penguins and Canadiens is 7:15 p.m.

• Per Sullivan, forward Reilly Smith and defenseman John Ludvig remain unavailable because ofundisclosed injuries. Smith has missed the Penguins’ last five games, and Ludvig, who was eligible to be activated from long-term injured reserve Saturday, hasn’t played since Dec. 31.

• When he takes the ice Saturday, forward Lars Eller will play in his 1,000th career NHL game, becoming the 388th player in league history to reach the milestone.

Eller, 34, has played in all 45 of the Penguins’ games so far this season, posting eight goals and six assists.

The Rodovre, Denmark, native is set to become the first Dane to reach 1,000 games played. Originally selected 13th overall in the 2007 NHL Draft by St. Louis, Eller is in his 15th season and first with the Penguins.

• The Penguins went on the power play a season-high eight times Friday vs. Florida, converting one opportunity, the first of the game, just 1 minute, 51 seconds into the opening period.

On the year, the Penguins’ power-play conversion rate sits at 13.3% (20 of 151), which ranks second-to-last in the NHL, ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks (12.6%).

• Saturday marks the 7,000th all-time game for Montreal. As the oldest operating club in the NHL, its founding in 1909 predated that of the league itself in 1917, with the Canadiens joining that same year.

The Canadiens are one of the NHL’s “Original Six” members, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1917), Boston Bruins (1924) and Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers (all 1926).