Canadiens top Jets to keep pace in wild-card race

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Joel Armia, Jeff Petry and Jordan Weal scored and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Saturday night to improve their playoff hopes.

Carey Price made 23 saves for the Canadiens. They are fighting Carolina and Columbus in the race for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Mathieu Perreault scored for Winnipeg, and Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves. The Jets have lost three in a row.

Montreal controlled play in the first period of Winnipeg's final home game of the regular season, outshooting the Jets 16-5 and grabbing a 1-0 lead. Armia scored against his former team eight seconds after Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers went to the penalty box for tripping.

Petry made it 2-0 with 37 seconds left in the second with a shot from the point.

Perreault scored his 15th goal of the season with 8:36 remaining. Weal scored into the empty net with 16 seconds left.

NOTES: Montreal was coming off a 6-2 loss at Columbus on Thursday night. ... Max Domi had an assist on Petry's goal to reach 70 points.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.

Jets: At Chicago on Monday night.