Canadiens 5, Red Wings 4: Thomas Vanek recorded a goal and two assists while Tomas Plekanec scored twice to reach 20 tallies for the sixth time in his career as visiting Montreal won its fourth straight game.

David Desharnais added a goal and an assist while Max Pacioretty tied a career high with his 33rd tally for the Canadiens, who won for the seventh time in eight contests and remained two points ahead of Tampa Bay for second place in the Atlantic Division. Defenseman P.K. Subban notched a pair of assists and Carey Price made 26 saves.

Tomas Tatar scored twice in a 3:06 span early in the third period for Detroit, which saw its 11-game home point streak come to an end as it tries to hang on to a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Riley Sheahan registered a goal and an assist, Johan Franzen also scored and Jimmy Howard stopped 24 shots.

The Canadiens led 3-1 after two periods, but Tatar capitalized on a giveaway by Subban 84 seconds into the third and added another goal at 4:30 to tie the contest. Pacioretty regained the lead for Montreal with a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle 1:17 later and Vanek tipped defenseman Andrei Markov’s shot past Howard at 11:15 - just 21 seconds before Franzen brought Detroit back within a goal.

Plekanec collected a loose puck in the slot and snapped it past Howard 5:14 into the game to open the scoring and finished a give-and-go with Subban following a turnover at 14:11 of the first. Sheahan got Detroit on the board when he walked in and fired a shot over Price’s right shoulder 1:28 into the second, but Vanek set up Desharnais in front from below the end line for a quick shot that restored the two-goal advantage at 11:03.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Replays revealed Desharnais was offsides on the rush that produced Pacioretty’s goal, but the play could not be reviewed. … Detroit C Gustav Nyquist notched an assist to extend his point streak to seven games (nine goals, two assists). … Howard has allowed at least three goals in four of his last five starts.