Senators 5, Canadiens 2: Captain Erik Karlsson scored twice and added an assist as visiting Ottawa erased an early two-goal deficit and cruised past Montreal.

Rookie Mark Stone potted the game winner, Erik Condra also scored and defenseman Marc Methot added his first of the season for the Senators, who improved to 9-1-1 in their last 11 games and remained seven points back of Boston for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Milan Michalek added two assists while Andrew Hammond made 27 saves to run his record to 8-0-1 in nine starts this season.

Max Pacioretty had both goals - one on the power play, one short-handed - for the Canadiens, who slipped into a first-place tie with Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic Division following the Lightning's 3-2 shootout defeat in Boston. Carey Price turned aside 23 shots in the loss.

Pacioretty opened the scoring 6:43 into the game, redirecting defenseman P.K. Subban's blast from the point over Hammond's glove. He doubled the advantage just 2:11 later, breaking in alone from the Ottawa side of center ice and lifting a high backhand past Hammond for his first short-handed goal of the season.

Karlsson put Ottawa on the board 2:50 into the middle period with a well-placed slap shot from the top of the left circle, and Condra evened things with 1:39 left on a redirection of Jean-Gabriel Pageau's centering pass. Stone gave Ottawa its first lead 1:23 into the third on the power play after a deft backhand deflection of defenseman Patrick Wiercioch's shot, and Karlsson iced things near the midway point of the frame by converting Michalek's feed following a Montreal turnover.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Hammond has yet to surrender more than two goals in a game. ... Ottawa has beaten Montreal three straight times. ... Karlsson leads all defensemen in scoring with 53 points, one more than Pittsburgh's Kris Letang.