NHL Scores: Stempniak scores twice as Hurricanes down Canadiens to keep playoff hopes alive

Carolina Hurricanes left wing Phillip Di Giuseppe is upended by Montreal Canadiens right wing Michael McCarron (34) during second period NHL hockey action, in Montreal on Thursday, March 23, 2017. (Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

MONTREAL -- Lee Stempniak scored twice as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Thursday night to extend their point streak to nine games and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner, into the empty net, also scored for the Hurricanes (32-27-13) while Eddie Lack stopped 21 shots.

Carolina, undefeated in regulation time in nine straight games (6-0-3), is five points out of the final wild-card spot with 10 games left in its season.

Alex Galchenyuk scored the lone goal for Montreal (41-24-9). Carey Price stopped 19-of-22 shots in defeat.

The Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead with 39 seconds remaining in the second period when Stempniak's harmless backhand shot took a big deflection off Alexei Emelin's skate to skip past Price.

Stempniak got his second of night at 5:11 of the third as he cashed in a 2-on-1 pass from Skinner. The goals were Stempniak's 13th and 14th of the season.

Despite being one of the league's best third-period teams, Montreal only took five shots on net in the third.

Carolina had not beaten the Canadiens in Montreal in seven games (0-6-1) dating back to Feb. 13, 2012. The Hurricanes had scored just four goals over that stretch.

Habs coach Claude Julien juggled his lines, demoting Galchenyuk from first-line centre to third-line winger. That move paid off just minutes into the encounter when Galchenyuk scored his first goal in 10 games at 6:46.

Andrew Shaw and Galchenyuk moved in on Lack on a 2-on-1, with Shaw completing a perfect pass to his new linemate, who made no mistake for his 16th of the season. Galchenyuk finished the game with three shots on Lack.

The play got started when defenceman Jordie Benn served a big hit on Jacob Slavin in the neutral zone to force a turnover seconds earlier.

Lindholm extended his point streak to nine games when he scored his 10th of the season at 16:10 of the first, on the power play, to make it 1-1. With Emelin in the box for holding, Lindholm completed a gorgeous tic-tac-toe play for an easy tap-in at the side of Price's net.

Skinner scored his team-leading 29th goal of the season into the empty net at 17:57 of the third.

Notes: Montreal's Nathan Beaulieu was a healthy scratch for the second time in the last five games.