Canadiens 4, Wild 1: Lars Eller and Jiri Sekac each recorded a goal and an assist as Montreal halted its modest two-game losing streak at home.

Brendan Gallagher and Max Pacioretty also tallied for the Canadiens, who had scored only six goals in their previous six games and put up their highest output since a 6-4 win over Boston on Oct. 16. Carey Price turned aside 30 shots to rebound from a pair of dismal outings in which he allowed five goals in each.

Jason Pominville netted the lone goal for Minnesota, which has been outscored 11-2 during its three-game losing streak. Darcy Kuemper, making his first career start against Montreal, stopped 27 shots.

Gallagher opened the scoring midway through the second period, hammering a slap shot from the right faceoff circle over the left shoulder of Kuemper. The Wild answered 5 1/2 minutes later as Thomas Vanek delivered a pinpoint pass to Pominville on the doorstep for an easy conversion.

Eller put the Canadiens ahead with 50 seconds left in the period with a wrist shot from the right circle and Montreal pulled away with a pair of early goals in the third. Sekac had an easy tap-in at 4:46 after Nino Niederreiter drove Brandon Prust into Kuemper and Pacioretty slammed home a shot from the slot 78 seconds later.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pacioretty's goal was his third in five games and gave him a team-high six on the season. ... Wild D Keith Ballard, who had appeared in only one game this season (Oct. 17), returned to the lineup and helped save a goal in the second period by sweeping away a loose puck from the crease. ... Hall-of-Famer Guy Lapointe, a standout defenseman for the powerhouse Montreal teams of the 1970s, was honored in a pregame ceremony and became the 18th Canadiens player to have his jersey raised to the rafters.