The uniform, the Penguins will recognize.

It is, after all, probably the most iconic in pro sports -- at least among the ones that don't include pinstripes.

But the players who will be wearing the Montreal sweaters when the Canadiens visit Mellon Arena at 7:38 tonight, they won't look quite so familiar to the Penguins.

Not in those bleu, blanc et rouge jerseys, anyway.

The Canadiens are moving into their second century -- this is their 101st season -- with very few holdovers from the first.

They have a new coach, Jacques Martin, and a roster that bears only fleeting resemblance to the one that lasted only four games in the playoffs this spring.

"It's amazing, how much [turnover there was]," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "More than half their roster.

"It's not just role guys. It's their main guys that they shipped out, and brought new ones in."

Gone is longtime captain Saku Koivu, one of a dozen or so free agents Montreal general manager Bob Gainey didn't re-sign. Others on that list include ex-Penguins Alex Kovalev, Robert Lang and Tom Kostopoulos, defensemen Mike Komisarek and Mathieu Schneider and winger Alex Tanguay.

In their place are forwards Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Travis Moen and defensemen Jaroslav Spacek, Paul Mara and Hal Gill.

"They've changed a lot, both personnel and coaching staff," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "It's almost a new team. It's not the old team we've faced before."

That doesn't mean the Penguins are unfamiliar with most of Montreal's new personnel. Gill, of course, played here last season, and the Penguins saw plenty of Gionta and Gomez when they were teammates in New Jersey, before Gomez moved to the New York Rangers.

"Maybe you don't recognize them as Canadiens, but they're guys you recognize from playing against when they were on other teams," defenseman Mark Eaton said.

Even if the Penguins didn't know much about Gomez and Gionta, they figure to get a quick introduction to them this evening, because those two have teamed with Cammalleri to form an excellent No. 1 line. Those three forwards have 11 goals among them in as many games.

"That line is pretty scary," Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. "Very good."

Gainey's offseason moves drew some heavy criticism, and it didn't let up much when Montreal lost five in a row after a 2-0 start. But the Canadiens have run off four consecutive victories, and earned praise for their work ethic and tenacity.

"They have a group of three forwards that poses, certainly, a big problem," Bylsma said. "Then they have a group of guys that are real hardworking and grind you down, get to the net, make it difficult on your defensemen. We certainly have some things to be aware of."

The skating ability of Montreal's forwards, including the Cammalleri-Gomez-Gionta line and underrated center Tomas Plekanec, is high on that list.

"They've got a lot of speed up front," center Sidney Crosby said. "They have some dangerous players. We have to make sure we can control the puck as long as we can. Puck possession is a big thing [against the Canadiens]."

Montreal's winning streak notwithstanding, it is a little early to pass conclusive judgment on the merits of Gainey's extreme makeover. Roster turnover is inevitable in the salary-cap era, but few, if any, clubs in recent memory have undergone such a radical overhaul.

"It's crazy, eh?" Fleury said "I don't recall anything like that. It's a little bit crazy."

But such dramatic changes might become more commonplace if general managers conclude that, with limited financial latitude, it's better to blow up a roster that doesn't perform to expectations rather than trying to tweak it.

"[What Gainey did is] not typical, but, at the same time, in some respects, that's kind of the way the game is now," Crosby said.

"There's a lot of movement. It makes it a lot tougher job for general managers. That's just what you have to deal with. It's part of what you face every year, building and having to adjust pretty quickly."

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