Canadiens Shut Out Penguins 4-0 on Fowler's First NHL Blank

Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler earned his first NHL shutout with 31 saves, leading his team to a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night at the Bell Centre. The win extended Pittsburgh's losing streak to eight games and left captain Sidney Crosby one point short of Mario Lemieux's franchise scoring record.

Juraj Slafkovsky opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 16:41 of the first period, rifling a shot into the top corner off a pass from Cole Caufield after keeping the puck alive in the offensive zone. Owen Beck, another Canadiens rookie, doubled the lead 1:10 later with his first career NHL goal, streaking down the left wing past a falling Parker Wotherspoon and beating Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner glove side. Josh Anderson added to Montreal's advantage midway through the second period with a shorthanded breakaway goal at 12:14, outracing Crosby to a loose puck after an interception by Oliver Kapanen. Anderson sealed the win with an empty-net goal late in the third.

Fowler, a 21-year-old recalled from the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket on December 9, denied Pittsburgh's top chances, including a breakaway by Kevin Hayes...