The Montreal Canadiens aren’t scheduled for another regular-season game in Pittsburgh’s aging Mellon Arena. As effortlessly as Sidney Crosby scores against them there, they probably aren’t eager to go back.

Crosby scored a goal and set up another with an no-look pass and the Penguins matched a franchise record for most victories in their first 25 games, beating the Canadiens 3-1 on Wednesday night.

The Penguins are 17-8 with five victories in six games since losing four in a row and five of six. The only other seasons they won 17 of their first 25 were 1995-96 (17-5-3) and 1994-95 (17-6-2), when there were tie games.

There have been a few horrific injuries in pro hockey. Penguins trainer Chris Stewart, reflecting on his career yesterday, feels fortunate he has not been working at games when those occurred.

“Maybe some broken bones and cuts that are pretty disgusting to see, and we’ve had to spineboard people, but, luckily, in 14 years of doing this, I haven’t seen anything catastrophic,” Stewart said.

In fact, the biggest challenge he has faced in stints with the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL, Lowell of the American Hockey League and Carolina and the Penguins in the NHL came off the ice last month and earned him high praise from the Penguins.

The Penguins could understand what Montreal is going through.

They could relate.

Heck, they even could empathize.

They just couldn’t let it show during their 3-1 victory against the Canadiens at Mellon Arena last night.

Know that cliche about injuries being part of the game? The Penguins found out during the past month or so just how big that part can be, and the Canadiens are learning the same lesson.