ATLANTA (Reuters) - Ondrej Pavelec made 25 saves and Rich Peverley scored twice to lead the in-form Atlanta Thrashers to a 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.
Peverley opened the scoring with 29 seconds left in the first period and added another on a power play in the second as Atlanta (11-9-3) recorded their four straight win.
"I think just our mindset going into games," Peverley said, when asked what is behind the winning run.
"We've started slow in the past here, but I think we've been playing well right from the get-go."
Tobias Enstrom scored Atlanta's second goal when he floated a wrist shot from the blueline that fooled Montreal goalie Alex Auld, who made 44 saves in his second start of the season.
"I didn't see it," Auld said. "It came over the top of everyone and I just sort of saw the reflection off the top of the puck. You just kind of see a light and I guessed and then I saw it go by me at the last second."
The Thrashers took command of the game in the second period dictating the play and outshooting the Canadiens 23-4.
"The second period was the difference in the hockey game," Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said.
"They were on the puck, they were more determined and they won the special teams part of the game."
The Canadiens (14-8-1) have dropped three of their last five games but still hold a three-point lead in the Northeast Division.
(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario. Editing by Frank Pingue and Patrick Johnston)
