Toronto, ON (My Sportsbook) - Alexei Kovalev registered a goal and three assists, and the Montreal Canadiens continued their playoff push with a 6-2 win against bitter rival Toronto at Air Canada Centre.

Guillaume Latendresse, Josh Gorges and Maxim Lapierre had a goal and an assist each in the win, Montreal's third straight.

The Habs have recorded at least a point in six straight contests, going 5-0-1 over that stretch. With 92 points, they remain just behind the No. 6 seed Pittsburgh (93) in the Eastern Conference, and moved three clear of the eighth-seeded Rangers (89), who lost to Boston earlier Saturday.

Christopher Higgins and Alex Tanguay also lit the lamp for the Canadiens, who had lost five straight games prior to their current stretch. Kovalev also recorded three assists in Thursday's win over the Islanders and now has seven goals and eight helpers during a six-game point streak.

"It's easy to have a game like that when the power play is clicking and both your linemates are on top of their game," said Kovalev. "I couldn't care less what Toronto did to us last time. The most important thing was to win the game and to get into the playoffs."

Jaroslav Halak recorded 34 saves in place of Carey Price, who missed a second consecutive game with the flu. Price is considered day-to-day with the illness.

John Mitchell and Boyd Devereaux scored for the Maple Leafs, who have been reduced to a playoff spoiler but haven't done much of it, with losses in four of the last five. Martin Gerber surrendered six goals on 29 shots in defeat.

The Habs took an early 1-0 lead on Kovalev's power-play wrister from the right circle, and Latendresse beat Gerber five-hole with a backhander for the two- goal advantage just 8:53 into the game.

Gerber kept the deficit at two by stoning a Latendresse penalty shot 6:31 into the second, but Montreal quickly made it a 4-0 game. Tanguay tipped home a Saku Koivu centering pass at 7:29 while crashing the net, and Higgins scored five-hole at 8:59 while Tomas Plekanec pestered Gerber in front.

Mitchell got Toronto on the board 2:11 into the third, but Latendresse sent a pass from the low right side across the goal mouth to Lapierre for a power- play goal less than five minutes later, restoring a four-goal advantage.

Gorges one-timed a slap shot from the high slot for a power-play tally to make it a 6-1 margin 2:32 later.

Devereaux added a shorthanded score to account for the final.

Game Notes

The Habs and Leafs met for the final time this year, as Montreal evened the season series at three games apiece....The Habs had dropped two of three road games against the Maple Leafs coming in...Koivu, who had the one assist, has also notched a point in six straight and has three goals and six assists during his run...Roman Hamrlik had two helpers in the win...Montreal next returns home to face Ottawa on Monday before traveling to take on the Rangers and Bruins. The Canadiens return to the Bell Centre for their season finale versus the Penguins next Saturday...Montreal was 3-for-5 with the man advantage and has scored at least one power-play goal in five straight games...The Habs have also have also killed every penalty but one over the last five...Toronto failed to strike on each of its five power-play chances...Mathieu Schneider left with an upper body injury in the second period for the Canadiens. He recorded an assist before leaving and also has a six-game point streak.