The Toronto Maple Leafs will go for their third win in as many tries this season against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET).

The last time the teams met at Air Canada Centre, optimism reigned as it was opening night for both clubs. Since then, Toronto has performed at or slightly above reasonable expectations, while Montreal hasn't, enduring a coaching change, major trade and other melodramas to find themselves tied for 11th, 10 points back of the playoff pace.

The Leafs are also outside of the playoff picture heading into Saturday's contest, although they are knocking on the door in ninth.

Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel are Toronto's top two scorers and are among the league leaders with 51 and 50 points, respectively.

At least for one night, they prospered on different lines after being split due to a recent slowdown.

Toronto (23-18-5) snapped a three-game losing streak, during which it scored a total of four goals, with a 4-1 victory over Minnesota on Thursday.

Kessel scored his 25th of the season, while Lupul tied a career high with three assists on a line with Nazem Kadri and Tim Connolly.

Captain Dion Phaneuf said much was made of the line changes because of the team's losing streak, but that it wasn't a big deal.

"It's part of the game," he said. "Teams don't stay with the same lines for the whole 82 games. ... We weren't having success and things had to change."

Phaneuf himself found himself moved to the left side of the blue-line as a result of a rare pairing with Luke Schenn.

It remains to be seen whether the Leafs have something to build on, or whether Thursday's result owed a lot more to the fact that the Wild over the last couple of weeks are one of the worst NHL clubs.

Goalie Jonas Gustavsson made 20 saves in the win. Gustavsson, who has won five of his last seven starts, started one of the victories against Montreal to improve to 3-1-1 with a 2.44 goals-against average versus the Canadiens.

Montreal (17-21-9) couldn't hold on a two-goal deal heading into the third period Friday night on the road, falling 5-4 in a shootout to the Penguins.

"It's frustrating for everybody," coach Randy Cunneyworth said. "I mean, we deserved maybe a little better fate for going ahead the way we did, but it's a battle out there and I think we have to continue to keep battling hard and work right until the end."

It was the second time in less than a week that the Canadiens blew a third-period lead.

The Habs did manage to score regularly after finding the mark just seven times in the previous five outings.

Erik Cole had a goal and an assist, while Tomas Kaberle — who'll make his second trip back to ACC as an opponent after spending a dozen years with the Leafs until last February — finished with two assists.

P.K. Subban, often embattled this season on the blue-line, was fined $2,500 for a dangerous trip on Pittsburgh's Chris Kunitz, the league announced early Saturday.

With backup Peter Budaj starting Friday, No. 1 man Carey Price figures to be back in net looking to snap a four-game losing streak.

He has allowed seven goals on 45 shots in two starts (0-1-1) against Toronto this season.

The Leafs conclude their five-game stand at ACC Monday with the beginning of a home-and-home set against the New York Islanders.

Montreal begins a home-friendly span where five of six are played at Bell Centre Wednesday against Detroit.