PHILADELPHIA -- As right winger Wayne Simmonds played the role of hero Tuesday, defenseman Radko Gudas was nearly the goat.

Simmonds put the Philadelphia Flyers ahead with a third-period goal before his team had to squash a five-minute power play courtesy of a Gudas penalty to survive the Montreal Canadiens in a 4-2 win at Wells Fargo Center.

"Our PK helped us close out the game in a big way," Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol said. "It was a big penalty kill."

Twenty seconds after Simmonds snapped a 2-2 tie with his second goal of the game and 8:04 left in regulation, Gudas was handed a game misconduct for clipping left winger Lucas Lessio, who after the hit needed help off the ice.

But the Flyers (22-18-8) saved Gudas and snapped a three-game home losing skid in their first tilt out of the All-Star break. Left winger Matt Read iced the game with an empty-net goal.

"Whether you like the call or not, it's a fast game on the ice, officials have to do their job and we've got to worry about doing our job," Hakstol said. "Our guys did that."

Gudas, skating backwards with his backside sticking out, knocked down Lessio near the legs.

"I don't know the player personally, but it always seems like when you're on the ice with him, he's the type of guy that will do stuff like that," Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban said.

"I don't respect guys that do low-bridge hits like that."

The Canadiens (24-23-4) failed to capitalize on the five-minute man advantage, opening the second half with yet another loss after stumbling into the All-Star break. Montreal has not won consecutive games since Nov. 25-27 and is 5-19-1 since Dec. 3.

"We had a chance to tie up the game," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. "Just a bad read and bad execution, pretty simple."

Therrien said he had no update on Lessio. Meanwhile, Gudas was not available for comment.

"I don't think it's anything that reflects on their team," Subban said. "They have guys that play hard and finish their checks, which is easy to respect."

With a defenseman on his back, right winger Jakub Voracek shielded the puck behind the net and found Simmonds for the game-winner while picking up his third assist of the night.

"It was an emotional (game), penalties on both sides," Voracek said. "A great skating game. It was a big win for us."

Flyers goaltender Steve Mason (11-12-6) made 30 saves while Canadiens goaltender Mike Condon (13-14-4) stopped 32 shots in his first career game against Philadelphia.

"Condon played very well. He gave us a chance," Therrien said. "Mason was outstanding."

The Flyers were awarded two power plays in the first period and cashed in on both to jump out to a 2-0 lead.

Voracek and center Brayden Schenn went tic-tac-toe in feeding Simmonds at the net to open the game's scoring 6:11 into play.

Voracek then facilitated Philadelphia's second man advantage, this time with an entry pass to Schenn, who angled the puck in between a defenseman and Condon 15:26 to pad the Flyers' advantage.

"We didn't like some of the things that happened to us in the first five minutes and brought it," Simmonds said. "Everyone was fired up."

The Canadiens chopped into the deficit with less than two minutes to go in the first period. Center Alex Galchenyuk's shot from the circle misfired but clanged off the back boards and right to defenseman Andrei Markov on the opposite side of the net, where he put it home for the power-play marker.

Montreal quickly knotted the score 2:30 into the second period when defenseman Jeff Petry's shot redirected past Mason after it deflected off Gudas' back for the game's first even-strength goal.

However, even with some help in the third period, the Canadiens fell short again.

"We've got to find ways to win games," Subban said. "Right now, we're finding ways to lose them."

NOTES: Flyers backup G Michal Neuvirth will miss 7-10 days with a lower-body injury, the team announced before the game. Neuvirth last played Jan. 27 and is 11-6-2 with a 2.14 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. To fill his roster spot, the Flyers recalled G Anthony Stolarz from their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. ... Canadiens D Tom Gilbert appeared in his first game since Dec. 22 after missing 14 contests with a lower-body injury. Gilbert entered with one assist in 36 games this season. ... Flyers C Sean Couturier returned to the lineup after missing the final three games before the All-Star break with a lower-body injury. Philadelphia is 2-6-1 in games Couturier has missed this season. ... LW Lucas Lessio, traded to Montreal on Dec. 15 and called up from the AHL on Jan. 31, m

ade his Canadiens debut, playing on the team's fourth line. ... Flyers C R.J. Umberger, who has not scored in his last 50 games dating to last season, was a healthy scratch.