MONTREAL - Max Pacioretty scored twice and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
P.K. Subban and Tomas Plekanec also scored for the Canadiens (15-9-3) and Carey Price stopped 34 shots.
James van Riemsdyk and Mason Raymond scored for the Leafs (14-10-3), while Jonathan Bernier made 35 saves.
The Canadiens wasted no time getting on the scoreboard after the Leafs' Carl Gunnarsson took a penalty for interference in the game's first minute.
Pacioretty scored his eighth of the season on the power play at 0:58 after taking a crisp pass from Subban, who was deep in his own zone. Pacioretty walked in on the breakaway and got off three shots on net before sliding one past Bernier's outstretched leg.
Price got an assist on the goal, his first point of the season.
Subban added to the lead at 16:13 of the first after a David Desharnais face-off win landed on his stick. Subban took a step towards the goal and beat Bernier with a wrist shot over his blocker.
George Parros and Colton Orr opened the second period by dropping the gloves - their first fight since the Oct. 1 season opener when Parros left the game with a concussion.
The Canadiens added to their lead at 15:05 of the second period when Plekanec fired home his ninth of the year on a two-on-one with Daniel Briere. Pacioretty put the game out of reach two minutes later with his second of the game, while playing shorthanded.
The Leafs answered with two quick goals of their own. Van Riemsdyk got the first for Toronto, lifting the puck from a tight angle into the roof of the net over a crouching Price at 18:10 of the second. Raymond scored 22 seconds later, tapping a rebound into a gaping net to make it 4-2.
Both the Canadiens and Maple Leafs were coming off 3-2 losses in extra time on Friday night. Montreal lost to the Washington Capitals in a shootout, while Buffalo scored 38 seconds into overtime to beat Toronto.
The Leafs and Canadiens entered the game tied in the standings with 31 points.
NOTES: The Maple Leafs have not won away from home since Oct. 30 in Calgary. ... Subban is the first Habs defenceman to score in nine games (since Dec. 7, when Andrei Markov scored against Senators). ... Montreal rookie Michael Bournival was out of the lineup. ... The Leafs were without injured players Dave Bolland (ankle) and Joffrey Lupul (groin). ... The Habs and Maple Leafs meet three more times this season. The next matchup is Jan. 18 at the Air Canada Centre.
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