Canadiens' Scott Gomez, far left, Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek, right, celebrate a first-period goal by Brian Gionta, second from left. (Gus Reulas/Associated Press)

Received with little fanfare around the National Hockey League this season were Bob Gainey's acquisitions of centre Dominic Moore and left-winger Benoit Pouliot.

But the efforts of both players Saturday night no doubt had the former Montreal Canadiens general manager and fans on their feet and smiling.

Moore snapped a 1-1 tie with a short-handed goal and Pouliot had two points, including the winning goal, in a 4-2 doubling of the hometown Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings pushed for the equalizer late in regulation and in the final 80 seconds with goalie Jonathan Quick pulled for an extra attacker, but Tomas Plekanec made Drew Doughty pay for a neutral-zone turnover with an empty-net goal.

"We were more desperate tonight than they were," Canadiens defenceman Roman Hamrlik said. "That's the way we have to play every night."

The win propelled Montreal into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference ahead of Atlanta and the New York Rangers, both of whom lost Saturday.

With a 31-29-6 record, the Canadiens have 68 points, two more than the Thrashers and Rangers and three ahead of No. 11 Tampa Bay.

Besides notching his 10th goal of the season — a long-range shot that deflected off the stick of Kings blue-liner Randy Jones and over Quick's left shoulder — Moore drew the tough assignment of checking sniper Anze Kopitar, who scored his 30th goal of the season late in the first period.

Kings' top trio minus-5

The Kings' top line of Kopitar between Dustin Brown and Ryan Smyth had 11 of the team's 25 shots but finished with a combined minus-5 rating.

"We played a strong game defensively," Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin said. "It was one of our better games away from the puck as far as getting good protection for our goalie."

Montreal dominated the puck on the penalty kill as L.A. failed to generate many scoring chances. An 0-for-4 performance on the power play leaves the Kings with one goal in 17 opportunities in their past four home games.

The Canadiens penalty killers were particularly impressive in the second period when they limited the home side to one shot in two man-advantage situations against an L.A. power play that ranked ninth in the NHL entering Saturday's contest.

"I think knowing when to be aggressive," Moore told Hockey Night in Canada's Scott Oake between periods when asked the key to Montreal's penalty-kill success. "When you get a bobbled puck we gotta jump and not let them set up."

Pouliot, whom Gainey picked up from Minnesota last November for equally struggling left-winger Guillaume Latendresse, combined for six points with linemates Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez.

Gionta put the visitors on the board before many of the 18,118 fans had settled in their seats at Staples Center, whacking a loose puck into an empty net at the 22-second mark. He added an assist on Pouliot's goal 36 seconds into the third period.

"To get off to a quick start in the first and third [periods] was huge," said Gomez, who has nine points in his last eight outings. "These guys don't give up."

'Took it to them'

The Canadiens knew not to let off the gas after San Jose overcame a 2-1 deficit to Montreal in the third period on Thursday with a pair of goals.

"We were pretty aware of it," said Gomez of the same scenario on Saturday. "We're in a position where we need every point we can have. Maybe in San Jose we sat back a bit. In the third [period against L.A.] I thought we took it to them a little bit."

Pouliot has found a home in Montreal, and his 13th goal in 23 games as a Canadien was a thing of beauty. After bumping the impressive Doughty off the puck behind the L.A. net, Pouliot skated out front and one-timed a Gomez feed to the glove side.

Kings newcomer Fredrik Modin, who cost L.A. general manager Dean Lombardi a conditional draft pick prior to Wednesday's trade deadline, cut the lead in half with his third goal of the season and first with his new team. Modin later had a chance to tie the game but couldn't corral the puck in the crease.

"This was a pretty good effort. We just unfortunately gave the puck away at the wrong time," Kings head coach Terry Murray said. "It's just some management of the puck — holding onto it and making plays. We don't score at critical times on our power play."

Plekanec's goal was his first point in five games and assured Montreal of its fifth straight win over the Kings since March 8, 2003.

The Canadiens wrap up their three-game West Coast trip Sunday at 5 p.m. PT against Anaheim.

With files from The Associated Press