Zucker scored twice 1:42 apart in the second period of his second game with the Penguins (35-15-6), who moved within three points of the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division after winning for the 10th time in 14 games. The forward was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Wild on Monday.
"To me, it's just about the win," Zucker said. "That was great. It was good to get that winning feeling back. Great to do it with these guys. So it was a fun night."
WATCH: [All Canadiens vs. Penguins highlights]
Carey Price made 24 saves for the Canadiens (27-26-7), who have lost three in a row after winning nine of the previous 12. They are seven points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for third place in the Atlantic Division.
"We feel that we want to keep pushing," Montreal coach Claude Julien said. "I know our chances are getting slimmer every game we lose. But we look around and we get a little bit of help, like last night. So it gives you hope. At the end of the day, it's pretty simple: We're going to have to get on a really good winning streak if we plan on getting back into this hunt."
Sidney Crosby had three assists, and Tristan Jarry made 34 saves for Pittsburgh. Crosby has at least one point in nine of 11 games since returning from core muscle surgery (17 points; five goals, 12 assists).
"It's nice to get a flow of games here," the Penguins captain said. "It's been off-and-on since I've come back, so I think with this point in the schedule, it'll be good just to play games consistently. I think with that, things will get better. I think it's trending the right way. Just need to make sure I continue to get better here."
Kris Letang gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead with a snap shot on a power play at 7:25 of the second period. Joel Armia had a chance to tie it on a shorthanded breakaway but shot wide 2:35 later.
