For the Penguins, it is a distant -- and presumably unpleasant -- memory.
For Montreal, it is a template.
And perhaps a source of optimism for the Canadiens, as they begin to prepare for a best-of-five preliminary-round series against the Penguins, who will be heavily favored to win it and advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Canadiens' 4-1 victory at PPG Paints Arena Dec. 10 reflected the confluence of quality goaltending, responsible team defense, opportunistic scoring and an uninspired effort by their opposition.
Whether all of those factors will be replicated once, let alone enough times for Montreal to survive the series, is conjecture, but that game should be a cautionary tale for the Penguins.