Galchenyuk's hat trick lifts Canadiens over Canes

MONTREAL - Alex Galchenyuk scored a career-best three goals, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Tuesday night for their third straight win.

Brandon Prust added a goal, and Carey Price stopped 25 shots for the Canadiens (20-10-2).

Victor Rask was the only goal scorer for Carolina (8-19-3), which has lost six in a row. Cam Ward made 25 saves. The Hurricanes have scored just one goal in each of the losses in their skid.

After losing three straight on the road, the Canadiens have won three consecutive on their homestand.

Montreal scored the eventual winning goal at 8:33 of the second period with a highlight-reel effort involving four players.

Galchenyuk scored off a tic-tac-toe pass from Max Pacioretty on a sequence initiated by Brendan Gallagher and Andrei Markov. Ward was far from the crease when the puck entered the net.

The Hurricanes have been outscored 18-6 during their losing streak. Carolina has scored more than two goals once in nine games.

Ward was way out of his net when Prust made it 1-0 at 9:15 of the first. David Desharnais faked a wraparound and lured Ward from the crease before dropping the puck back in front to Prust, who scored his second goal of the season.

Carolina came into the game having taken an NHL-low 76 penalties, but the Hurricanes took five against Montreal.

With Carolina trailing 2-0, Rask gave the Hurricanes life early in the third period.

Jeff Skinner's shot from the circle handcuffed Price, went off his shoulder, and trickled down to the goal line. Rask was there to nudge Price's pad, poking the puck into the net in the process.

Still a one-goal game, Elias Lindholm hit the post with five minutes remaining. Then Galchenyuk went to work.

He put the game away after Pacioretty found him calling for a pass at the blue line. Galchenyuk went in on a breakaway and scored his eighth goal of the season at 16:41. The 20-year-old Russian completed the hat trick 30 seconds later.

Price is 7-2-1 in his last 10 home games against the Hurricanes.

NOTES: Montreal's Bryan Allen (flu), Lars Eller (upper body) and Mike Weaver (concussion) sat out. ... Carolina top-scorer Jiri Tlusty missed his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury. ... The Canadiens have won seven of eight at home against Carolina.