Canadiens 3, Lightning 2
MONTREAL -- Brian Gionta scored his second goal of the game with 46.4 seconds left, and the Montreal Canadiens ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
Gionta, who gave Montreal a 2-0 lead in the second, scored on a power play after Tampa Bay's Benoit Pouliot got a late holding penalty.
Alex Galchenyuk also scored for Montreal, and Carey Price made 32 saves.
The Canadiens (27-12-5) moved two points ahead of the Boston Bruins for the Northeast Division lead.
Vincent Lecavalier drew Tampa Bay even at 2 with his 10th goal 5:07 into the third. Richard Panik also scored for the Lightning, who have lost five straight (0-3-2).
Ben Bishop stopped 32 shots for Tampa Bay (17-23-4).
Price had dropped three straight after relieving Peter Budaj in Wednesday night's 6-4 loss in Pittsburgh. Price was pulled in his two previous starts, a 7-3 loss to Philadelphia on Monday, and a 5-1 loss in Toronto on Saturday.
Price stopped Steven Stamkos on a breakaway early in the third. The Montreal goalie had little chance on the tying goal by Lecavalier, who was left alone at the side of the net.
Pouliot was called for holding P.K. Subban with 2:21 left in the third as the two teams combined for four power-play opportunities over the final 9:32, including three man-advantages for Montreal.
Galchenyuk scored for a third game in a row 4:04 into the second to put Montreal up 1-0.
Gionta made it 2-0 with his second goal in as many nights at 15:05 of the middle period.
Panik drew Tampa Bay within 2-1 at 17:36 of the second period with a power-play goal. He flipped a puck in the goalmouth over Price's outstretched right pad for his fifth goal, his third in four games.
The Lightning hit the post or the crossbar three times in the first, and Teddy Purcell put a shot off the post in the second after Galchenyuk's goal.
NOTES: Tampa Bay had allowed 28 goals in its previous seven games. ... The Lightning's Tom Pyatt did not play. The former Montreal center is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. ... Canadiens left wing Brandon Prust was out of the lineup for the second time in three games. He played Wednesday in Pittsburgh after sitting out Monday night's 7-3 loss to Philadelphia. Prust banged up his shoulder in Saturday's 5-1 loss in Toronto. He missed eight games from March 10 through March 27 with a left-shoulder injury. ... Montreal right wing Ryan White sat out the second game of his five-game suspension for his hit to the head of the Flyers' Kent Huskins on Monday.
