Nathan Bastian scored his first NHL goal, Kurtis Gabriel got his second and the last-place New Jersey Devils continued to be a thorn in Montreal's playoff hopes, beating the Canadiens 2-1.
Recently acquired defenceman Connor Carrick set up both goals and Cory Schneider made 34 saves as the Devils swept their three-game season series with the Canadiens.
Montreal went into the night with a one-point lead over Carolina and Pittsburgh for the top wild card in the NHL's Eastern Conference.
Paul Byron scored a short-handed goal for Montreal, and Carey Price made 20 saves.
The Canadiens take on the Red Wings Tuesday night in the Motor City.