MONTREAL -- Despite all the struggles, the Montreal Canadiens have not given up hope for a playoff spot.

On Saturday night, they kept themselves in the race but still with a mountain to climb.

Left winger Max Pacioretty scored two goals to lead the Canadiens to 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre, giving Montreal wins in three

of its last four games.

The Habs (30-27-5) remain five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, held by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have two games in hand, and six behind division rival Detroit for the first wild-card seed.

"We've got to string together some games here and we've done that the last four, getting some points, and we've just got to keep it rolling,” said Canadiens goaltender

Mike Condon, who made 31 saves for his 16th win of the season. "The challenge is only going to get harder as we go out west."

The Canadiens not only face a points gap in reaching the postseason but also have Carolina, New Jersey and Philadelphia between them and the Penguins.

Right winger Devante Smith-Pelly and left winger Alex Galchenyuk scored for the Canadiens.

Defenseman Matt Hunwick had a goal for the Leafs (21-29-10).

Hunwick gave the numerous Maple Leafs fans in the building reason to celebrate at 5:29 of the first period.

With Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin caught going for a hit, Brad Boyes pushed the puck out of the Toronto zone and left winger Brendan Leipsic got to

it before Montreal speedster Paul Byron in the neutral zone, creating an odd-man rush with Hunwick.

Condon stopped Leipsic's shot from the right circle, but Hunwick was there to put in the rebound on the other side.

"It was a breakout where all five guys touch the puck," Hunwick said. "Morgan (Reilly) bumped it up to Boysie (Brad Boyes), and I could read that he was going

to get it out, so it gave me a chance to get my feet moving and catch up to Brendan. Obviously, a great shot for a rebound and an easy goal for me."

Galchenyuk tied it up 1 1/2 minutes later. right winger Sven Andrighetto dished to Galchenyuk along the right wall and the 22-year-old patiently skated inside the right circle before sniping a shot short-side on Bernier.

The Canadiens thought they took the lead on the power play near the midpoint of the second period when Brendan Gallagher deflected the puck in off the heel

of his stick in front of the net, but the goal was waved off because of a high-sticking call that stood after a quick review.

Montreal got one that counts shortly thereafter. Emelin fired a shot from inside the blue line that hit rookie Michael McCarron before bouncing over to Smith-Pelly, who poked it behind Bernier at 10:39.

With an assist on Smith-Pelly's goal, McCarron picked up his first NHL point.

"My linemates and I did pretty well," said McCarron, playing his third NHL regular-season game and first at the Bell Centre. "We got pucks behind their D

and really forechecked them hard. And the result of that was that we got rewarded with a goal and scoring chances. If we continue to do that, I think we'll be able

to pot a few more."

Pacioretty picked up his first goal of the night at 6:23 of the third period. Defenseman Andrei Markov, in the left circle, saucered a perfect feed over to the Canadiens

captain for the one-timer.

"We're in a game that was 2-1 going into the third," Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "We were set up to have success. Pacioretty made a real nice play

pushing off Morgan Rielly for the one goal and I thought that was kind of the dagger that did us in right there."

He posted his third multi-goal game -- and 10th multipoint game -- of the season less than two minutes when he picked up the rebound of Greg Pateryn's point shot in front of the net for his 23rd goal of the season.

Pateryn got his first NHL point on the goal, in his 38th NHL game.

Right winger Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, who left Friday's practice with soreness, exited the game in the first period with what the team said was an upper body

and did not return.

Jonathan Bernier stopped 32 shots for Toronto.

NOTES: With injuries piling up on defense and RW Dale Weise and LW Tomas Fleischmann traded, the Canadiens called up RW Michael McCarron and D

Morgan Ellis on Friday, with the latter sitting as a healthy scratch alongside LW Lucas Lessio. ... LW Phillip Danault, a Victoriaville, Quebec, native, made his

Canadiens debut after being acquired from the Blackhawks on Friday. ... Toronto called up G Garret Sparks after the team traded G James Reimer to the San

Jose Sharks earlier in the day. ... The Maple Leafs dressed all their healthy bodies. ... Toronto D Matt Hunwick returned to the lineup after missing four games

with a lower-body injury.