Red Wings 3, Canadiens 2
DETROIT -- Left winger Justin Abdelkader and forward Darren Helm scored 1:11 apart in the third period to give the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 come-from-behind win against the Montreal Canadiens Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.
It was Helm's second goal of the game for Detroit, which has points in its past 12 games (8-0-4). Goaltender Petr Mrazek made 23 saves to get the win.
The Red Wings had lost seven in a row to the Canadiens.
Right winger Sven Andrighetto and left winger Tomas Fleischmann scored for Montreal, which has lost its past four. Goltender Dustin Tokarski made 26 saves for the Canadiens.
Abdelkader's power-play goal tied it 2-2 with 7:12 left in the third period. Left winger Henrik Zetterberg's pass from the left corner deflected in off Abdelkader's skate. It was Abdelkader's 10th goal and fifth in his last five games.
Helm got his second goal, with 6:01 left, after a turnover by Montreal defenseman Greg Pateryn. Helm slid a shot past Tokarski from just outside the crease for his third goal of the season.
Fleischmann gave the Canadiens a 2-1 lead 4:30 into the third period when he beat Mrazek from the inside part of the right circle. It was the eighth goal for Fleischmann, who was a Detroit draft pick. The Red Wings selected him in the second round (No. 63) in the 2002 NHL Draft.
Helm gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead with 8:43 left in the second period. He scored on a breakaway after knocking down a puck with his glove in the high slot.
Andrighetto tied it 1-1 with 6:39 left in the second period when he poked in a loose puck from the crease. It was his fourth goal. Left winger Charles Hudon, playing in his first NHL game, got an assist for his first point.
Mrazek stopped center Tomas Plekanec twice on breakaways late in the second period, with 4:29 and 1:06 left.
Tokarski poke checked Helm on a breakaway about four minutes into the game.
NOTES: Montreal G Dustin Tokarski makes his first start of the season after being recalled from St. John's of the American Hockey League on Sunday. ... Detroit has points in its past 11 games (7-0-4). ... The Canadiens were without RW Zack Kassian (broken foot, broken nose), C Torrey Mitchell (lower-body injury), RW Brendan Gallagher (hand) and G Carey Price (knee). ... The Red Wings were missing LW Drew Miller (broken jaw), RW Teemu Pulkkinen (dislocated shoulder), RW Johan Franzen (concussion) and D Kyle Quincey (ankle). ... Montreal's healthy scratches were D Nathan Beaulieu, LW Christian Thomas and D Jarred Tinordi. ... D Jakub Kindl was Detroit's healthy scratch.