Canadiens 3, Rangers 0
MONTREAL -- The third line provided the offense to give the Montreal Canadiens a 3-0 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday night at the Bell Centre.
Left winger Tomas Fleischmann and right winger Dale Weise scored for the Canadiens, who are 5-0-0 to start the season for the first time in franchise history.
Center Tomas Plekanec also scored.
Goaltender Carey Price made 25 saves for Montreal, earning his 35th career shutout and claiming sole possession of fourth place on the Canadiens' all-time list.
Netminder Henrik Lundqvist stopped 29 shots for the Rangers (3-2-0).
For the fifth time in as many games to start the season, the Canadiens opened the scoring. Fleischmann forced the Rangers into a turnover and left a drop pass for center David Desharnais. Desharnais' shot deflected off a stick and Fleischmann picked up the loose puck before beating Lundqvist blocker side at 8:46 of the second period.
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, gloved a point blank shot from center David Desharnais.
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 snipe from the right circle.
Plekanec sealed the win with an empty net goal
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 have served as the visitors for a team's home opener in all three road games they have played this season.