The Nashville Predators erased a three-goal lead in the third period to upend the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in a shootout Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

Radek Bonk scored the tying goal and also netted a goal in the shootout for the Predators (13-9-2), who won for the second time in as many games in Canada, following a 6-5 win against Ottawa on Thursday night.

Canadiens centre Saku Koivu, right, breaks away from Nashville's Jerred Smithson on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
(Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

Martin Erat scored the other shootout goal for Nashville, while Saku Koivu managed Montreal's only goal.

The Canadiens (13-9-4) appeared to be headed for a victory after the first 40 minutes, but have only one win in their last five games.

The Predators scored four times in the third period to rally from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits and force overtime in a game in which they outshot the Canadiens 44-26.

Jed Ortmeyer, David Legwand and Greg de Vries scored to bring Nashville within a goal and Bonk, a former Hab, forced the overtime period with 47 seconds to play.

"It's not just because I scored against Montreal that I'm excited," said Bonk. "If you can contribute against any team it feels good.

"I had a great time playing here."

Bonk converted from the slot with the Predators on the power play and goalie Dan Ellis pulled for an extra attacker.

Guillaume Latendresse scored two goals for Montreal, while Chris Higgins and Tomas Plekanec also netted markers.

Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau shuffled his lines after his team was shut out in two of the previous three games. The strategy worked early as Higgins staked Montreal to a 1-0 lead at 9:02 of the first period after his quick shot in the slot surprised Nashville's starting goaltender Chris Mason.

The Habs struck again more than four minutes later as Plekanec squeezed a weak shot between the legs of Mason.

The Predators's netminder was pulled after allowing two goals on only six shots, making way for backup Ellis.

But the move didn't prevent Montreal from taking a commanding lead at 9:30 of the second. Latendresse took a pass from Kyle Chipchura and made a nifty deke on Elllis for his sixth goal of the season.

"We had a good first half and then it was a complete disaster in the second half," said a fuming Carbonneau. "Our veterans didn't do the job at the end.

"You go with guys you count on at the end of a game and they're not doing it."

Cristobal Huet ruined his own shutout bid as he misplayed a hard shoot-in behind his net and Ortmeyer pounded home the short-handed goal at 8:40 of the third.

Montreal regained its three-goal lead as Latendresse converted Roman Hamrlik's rebound into an open side at 10:41.

Dan Hamhuis helped cut Montreal's lead to 4-2 after creating a turnover deep in the Montreal zone as he set up Legwand for his seventh of the season at 12:26.

De Vries and Bonk then pulled Nashville even with two goals in the final 3:05.

"We felt we could come back," added Bonk. "We got that big goal from Ortie and we just kept coming at them. It just shows how resilient this team is. We always know we have a chance to win."

With files from the Canadian Press