Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 18 shots he faced for his first shutout in this postseason, as Pittsburgh clipped Montreal, 2-0, in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series from Bell Centre.
Penguins 2, Canadiens 0: Pittsburgh Takes 2-1 Series Lead With Game 3 Win
Evgeni Malkin and Pascal Dupuis tallied in the third period for the Penguins, who lead the series two games to one despite the absence of forward Bill Guerin, out for the contest with an undisclosed injury.
Fleury, who now has four career playoff whitewashes, blanked an opponent for the first time since a 6-0 decision over the Flyers in Game 5 of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals.
Jaroslav Halak played well in defeat, turning aside 23-of-24 shots for the Canadiens, who hadn't been held scoreless beyond the regular season since Game 1 of the 2004 Eastern Conference semifinals against Tampa Bay.
Game 4 takes place in Montreal on Thursday.
Pittsburgh picked up the game's first tally at the 1:16 mark of the third period while on the power play, as Sergei Gonchar fed to Malkin, who ripped a shot home through a screen from the right circle.
Fleury then came up big with just over 7 1/2 minutes to play, as he slid across from left to right to stifle Mike Cammalleri’s one-timer from 25 feet.
The Canadiens were granted a power play with 5:31 left in regulation, and the best chance from the Habs came late in the advantage when a Scott Gomez tip from a Brian Gionta pass into the slot was kicked out by Fleury in front.
Montreal didn’t go with an extra skater until just over a minute remained, but Dupuis hit the clincher into an empty net with 15 seconds to play.
Montreal allowed just three shots in the scoreless opening 20 minutes, and though the ice was tilted Pittsburgh’s way in the second, Halak stood tall with 13 saves.
He was up to the task to stop a Matt Cooke breakaway less than 6 1/2 minutes in, then slid across to stop Sidney Crosby's blast with a bouncing puck on a Penguins power-play with 8 1/2 minutes to go.
Alex Goligoski almost slipped one through with five minutes to play on a redirection, but Halak reacted quickly to close off the left post.
Fleury, a Quebec native, posted three shutouts during Pittsburgh’s 2008 run to the Stanley Cup Finals...Montreal suffered its first home playoff shutout since a 3-0 loss to Buffalo on April 7, 1983 in Game 2 of an Adams Division semifinal at the famed Forum...Malkin’s tally snapped a five-game goal drought stretching back to Game 4 of the Penguins’ first-round series with Ottawa.
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