The Canadiens just needed their skill to arrive

Through two periods, the Montreal Canadiens were playing a solid game of hockey without anything to show for it.

They were ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins on the shot counter (24-21), in shot attempts, and even in scoring chances (22-18). They were getting stable goaltending from Samuel Montembeault, and Martin St-Louis’s new line combinations were paying off, with all four trios pulling their weight.

Heck, even Garry Galley sang their praises on live television during the intermission.

The Bell Centre scoreboard still read 0-2 for the visitors, who relied on their skill to muster that advantage. Evgeni Malkin’s first goal, for example, was a 38-foot wrister that only had a 3.7% chance of…