LONDON, ON. — The Canadiens began the 2016 Rookie Tournament with a Friday morning practice at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario. They opened the three-game tournament with a high-energy afternoon matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Although the Pens got on the scoreboard just 21 seconds into the game, it was the Habs who carried the momentum the rest of the way. The first line of Artturi Lehkonen, Mike McCarron, and Nikita Scherbak proved to be formidable and quick, putting puck after puck past the Pittsburgh netminder.

In the Montreal crease, Charlie Lindgren started off a bit nervously but settled into a groove and kept his opponents at bay. He ended the game with a spectacular save one minute before the final horn.

The highlight of the night went to Scherbak, who also earned the First Star of the night after an impressive puck-handling and puck-protection display led to a memorable goal. The Canadiens went on to win the game 8-3.

The Canadiens take to the ice again on Saturday for a primetime faceoff against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00pm (EST).

Three stars:

1.  Nikita Scherbak
2. Mike McCarron
3. Noah Juulsen