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 A pair of goals from the third line combined with an empty-net tally
lifted the Canadiens to a 3-0 victory over the Rangers on Thursday
night at the Bell Centre. The victory improved Montreal's record to
5-0-0, a first in the club's 107 years.
Left winger Tomas Fleischmann, right winger Dale Weise and center
Tomas Plekanec scored for the Canadiens, who have won all five games
in regulation.
Goaltender Carey Price made 25 saves for Montreal, earning his 35th
career shutout, good for sole possession of fourth place on the
Canadiens' all-time list. It also marked the goalie's ninth win in
the last 11 games against New York at the Bell Centre, a span in
which he has allowed just nine goals.
"His numbers are incredible every game," Weise said. "Some
game-changing saves in the second period on the power play, that's
just becoming normal for us to see him making saves like that. It's
just incredible. The crowd feeds off it and we feed off it."
Netminder Henrik Lundqvist stopped 29 shots for the Rangers (3-2-0),
who have scored just one goal in their past two games.
"As a goalie, you just have to focus on your part," Lundqvist said.
"You can't control how the team is playing or how the game is
played. You just have to focus on your job, and that's stopping the
puck. And when you do your part, obviously, you feel good about
that."
As they have in every game this season, the Canadiens opened the
scoring. Fleischmann forced the Rangers into a turnover and left a
drop pass for David Desharnais. The center's shot deflected off a
stick, and Fleischmann picked up the loose puck before beating
Lundqvist blocker side at 8:46 of the second period.
The Rangers enjoyed their best chances to tie in the latter stages
of the second period when presented with a lengthy two-man
advantage. They tossed five shots on Price but couldn't get one past
the Canadiens' netminder, whose stops included a diving glove save.
With the Canadiens looking to double their lead, Lundqvist held the
home team at bay. Late in the second, he denied center Alex
Galchenyuk from the circle on the power play, and in the third, he
gloved a point-blank shot from Desharnais.
"We got schooled tonight," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "We
didn't create, I don't think, five chances five-on-five. Our only
moment was that five-on-three where he had a couple of saves to
make. They outplayed us in every area of the game.
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"Offensively, they must have had 12 or 13 outnumber situations with
Grade A looks. If it wasn't for our goaltender here tonight, the
score would have been a lot worse."
Weise made it 2-0 at 17:55 of the third period. Fleischmann kept the
puck in the Rangers' end and dished off to Desharnais, who then sent
it over to Weise for a quick shot from the right circle.
Plekanec sealed the win by scoring with 37 seconds remaining.
"That was definitely a fun game," said Canadiens left winger Max
Pacioretty, playing his first regular-season game as team captain.
"That's a team that plays very similar to us and has a pretty
similar lineup, so that was definitely a lot of fun. ...
"Pricer came up huge for us. It's nice to see everyone pitch in and
be a difference tonight."
NOTES: The Canadiens didn't tinker with their lineup, leaving LW
Paul Byron, D Jarred Tinordi and D Greg Pateryn as healthy scratches
for their home opener. ... RW Emerson Etem made his Rangers debut,
and D Dan Boyle and RW Jesper Fast were back in after sitting out
one and two games, respectively. ... The Rangers scratched C Jarret
Stoll, LW Tanner Glass and D Dylan McIlrath. ... Montreal C Tomas
Plekanec suited up for his 766th career NHL game, tying him with
Bernard "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion for 24th on the team's games-played
list. ... The Rangers served as the visitors for a team's home
opener in all three road games they have played this season.
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