DETROIT -- Center Darren Helm got off to a slow start this season, but he had a big game Thursday night.

Left winger Justin Abdelkader and Helm scored 1:11 apart in the third period to give the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Montreal Canadiens at Joe Louis Arena.

It was Helm's second goal of the game for Detroit, which earned at least a point for the 12th game in a row (8-0-4). Goaltender Petr Mrazek made 23 saves for the win.

"I think that the last five or 10 games maybe I found my step," Helm said. "Haven't been successful on the score sheet, but I knew things were coming. Hopefully this will give me a little bit more confidence and keep things rolling personally and help the team win."

The Red Wings (16-8-5) had lost seven in a row to the Canadiens (19-8-3).

"Tight game. Both goalies played well," Red Wings captain and left winger Henrik Zetterberg said. "Tough to get any momentum going, both ways, I think, until the third (period). In the third, woke up a little bit there and got it going."

Right winger Sven Andrighetto and left winger Tomas Fleischmann scored for Montreal, which lost its fourth consecutive game. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 26 saves for the Canadiens.

"I don't know what to say. It's disappointing," Canadiens captain and left winger Max Pacioretty said. "Just not good enough."

Abdelkader's power-play goal tied it 2-2 with 7:12 left in the third period. Zetterberg's pass from the left corner deflected in off Abdelkader's skate. It was Abdelkader's 10th goal and fifth in his past five games.

"I turned my skate," Abdelkader said. "I wasn't trying to kick it. I didn't see any replays on it, but I didn't feel that I kicked it in."

Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin was in the penalty box for high-sticking.

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.

"I thought Darren was the best player on the ice. I thought he was great from the drop of the puck," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "He's got such get up and go, and he was impactful the whole night.

"Great job by him. He's played real well here in the last eight, nine games, whatever. He's been real good overall. It's good for him to get rewarded with some goals. It always feels good to score. It looks like he's really coming."

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien summed things up: "We took a really bad penalty for their tying goal, and we turned the puck over on the winning goal. That's the story of our game right now."

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 overall) in 2002.

Helm gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead with 8:42 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.

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.