Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 3: James van Riemsdyk scored the game-winning goal with 5:33 to play to lift host Toronto to its season-high fourth consecutive victory.

Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul and Mason Raymond each had a goal and an assist and defenseman Cody Franson scored as the Maple Leafs prevailed after squandering a two-goal lead. Jonathan Bernier made 30 saves to beat Montreal for the first time in four career starts.

Brendan Gallagher, captain Brian Gionta and David Desharnais scored for the Canadiens, who fell to 8-8-2 in their last 18 games. Carey Price turned aside 25 shots for Montreal but was beaten for the decisive goal when van Riemsdyk stretched out to chip Tyler Bozak's feed past the Canadiens netminder just over five minutes after Desharnais tied it with a deflected tally.

Nazem Kadri collected the first of his two assists with a dazzling move to go around defenseman Alexei Emelin before sliding a pass that an onrushing Franson buried at 4:49 of the first. Montreal leveled it with a power-play goal with 2:31 left in the period when blue-liner Andrei Markov's point shot hit Max Pacioretty in the back and caromed to Gallagher, who pounded it home from the slot.

Kessel was denied on a breakaway midway through the second but atoned for it minutes later, converting a feed from Raymond. Raymond then accepted a pinpoint pass from Kadri and ripped a wrister past Price from the bottom of the right circle with 2:13 left in the period. Gionta celebrated his 35th birthday by flicking home a rebound at 19:48 to pull Montreal within a goal entering the third.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Kessel's goal, his 23th of the season, was his 300th point with the Maple Leafs. ... Pacioretty picked up an assist on Gallagher's tally for his 11th point in nine games. ... Franson ended an 11-game goalless drought while Gallagher scored for the first time in seven games.