Max Pacioretty's second goal of the night lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a comeback 4-3 victory over the visiting Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
The Canadiens got goals from Pacioretty and Paul Byron in the first period only to see the Red Wings tally three times in the second from Gustav Nyquist, Anthony Mantha and Mike Green. Sven Andrighetto tied it for Montreal in the third before Pacioretty got the game-winner at 11:18.
Montreal (35-36-6) played the spoiler as the Red Wings (38-28-11) remain just out of the second Eastern Conference wild-card playoff spot and one point back of Boston for third place in the Atlantic division.
Detroit outshot Montreal 42-27.
Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek's late-season woes continued as he was pulled in favour of Jimmy Howard for a second straight start at 11:25 of the first period after allowing two goals on seven shots.
Pacioretty tipped in Joel Hanley's point shot at 8:23 and Byron backhanded in the rebound of an Alexei Emelin point shot at 11:25. A recent call-up, Hanley's assist gave him five points in as many NHL games.
The Red Wings roared back with three power-play goals in the second. It started when Emelin was given majors for interference and fighting for a hit into the boards that briefly shook up rookie Dylan Larkin.
Nyquist picked the top corner with a shot at 12:33 and the rookie Mantha, who had more than 40 family and friends in the seats, scored through a wild scramble in front of Mike Condon at 13:17.
Green put a wrist shot through traffic and in off the far post at 16:20.
Montreal tied it 3-3 with a man advantage 6:34 into the third period when Andrighetto tipped in an Andrei Markov shot.
Markov started a four-way passing play in the Detroit zone the ended with Alex Galchenyuk feeding Pacioretty to score his second of the game on a tight-angled shot.
Mrazek was pulled after allowing four goals on 27 shots against Pittsburgh on Saturday. He was in the Vezina Trophy conversation earlier in the season, but has been yanked five times since Feb. 14.
Notes: Goalie Carey Price, out since Nov. 25 with a lower-body injury, is expected to travel with the team for games Thursday in Tampa Bay and Saturday in Florida. Forward Brendan Gallagher, out since March 5, will also travel and hopes to play in at least one of the games.
