VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Off to their best start since 1992, the Vancouver Canucks are feeling pretty optimistic.

"Sure, it's time to get a little bit excited," coach Mark Crawford said following the Canucks' 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. "We're not going to get carried away with ourselves. We know we've got a long way to go. ... But right now, the confidence can keep building for us if we continue to adhere to what we're doing."

	Dave Scatchard and Vancouver aren't about to let other teams start pushing them around.

The Canucks improved to 3-0, one win short of their best start in franchise history. As well, Vancouver's three-game winning streak is its longest since February 1998.

The Canucks not only got production from all four lines, but continued to get solid goaltending. Making his first appearance of the season after missing two games with a groin strain, Garth Snow stopped the first 22 shots he faced before losing his shutout bid on Miloslav Guren's power-play goal with 7:32 left in the game, and the Canucks ahead 4-0.

Bill Muckalt, with the eventual game-winner, and Todd Bertuzzi each scored their first goals in almost eight months. Rookie Steve Kariya scored his NHL career goal, while fourth-liner Harry York put the game away, scoring in the third period.

The Canucks, coming off three dismal seasons, are buoyed by the early results.

"It's only three games in, but we've been playing really hard. We've bought into a system and we've got to keep on riding it," said Bertuzzi, who's last goal came last Feb. 13.

"It was a huge. Mentally for me it was a long thing coming. I worked my tail off this summer and slowly things started coming around," said Bertuzzi. "I knew it was just a matter of time before I started breaking loose."

The Canadiens (1-3) appeared tired, playing their second game in less than 24 hours after Friday's 4-1 victory in Calgary.

Coach Alain Vigneault refused to blame the loss on fatigue, instead chalking things up to rookie mistakes.

"A couple of our younger defensemen tonight made some mistakes," he said.

He was specifically referring the game-opening goal in which Bertuzzi bullied to the net past Guren, and scored. And then there was Kariya's goal which put Vancouver up 3-0 with 18.7 seconds left in the second period, and was the direct result of a turnover by Francis Bouillon.

The injury-riddled Canadiens, already missing five veteran regulars, were forced to give their younger players more ice time after losing Craig Rivet to a broken cheekbone in Friday's game. Saturday, Montreal center Craig Darby did not return for the third period after being hit in the left foot by a puck.

"Those are the cards that we're dealt right now. We've got a lot of our key personnel out. And we don't expect them back soon," said Vigneault. "But that's part of the game. There's nothing we can do about it."

With the Canucks ahead 1-0, Muckalt scored the eventual game-winner when he deflected in Chris Joseph's point shot for a power-play goal 2:45 into the second period. It was Muckalt's first goal since Feb. 23.

Montreal has managed just seven goals this season, and has now failed to score a first-period goal in four games.

To make room for Snow's return, the Canucks assigned veteran Trent Klatt to their AHL farm team in Syracuse. Klatt, who has played parts of nine NHL seasons, had yet to play in the Canucks' two games this season.

Prior to the game, to commemorate the Canucks' 30-year anniversary, the team unveiled the franchise's all-time 30 figures. Those selected, none of them current members of the club, included Pavel Bure, Pat Quinn, current Canadien Trevor Linden, former owners the Griffiths family, the club's first captain Orland Kurtenbach, and all-time NHL penalty-minutes leader Dave "Tiger" Williams.