Galchenyuk, Eller each with three points as Canadiens down Islanders 4-2

MONTREAL – Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller each had a goal and two assists as the Montreal Canadiens ended a four-game winless run with a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday night.

Their linemate Brendan Gallagher as well as Michael Bournival also scored for Montreal (9-8-1). Canadiens coach Michel Therrien earned his 250th career NHL win.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Brock Nelson had goals for the Islanders (6-9-3), who ended a four-game road trip without earning a point. Montreal had a 31-26 shot advantage.

The Islanders were playing a second game in less than 24 hours and were without recently acquired forward Thomas Vanek, who suffered an upper-body injury in a 5-2 loss Saturday night in Columbus.

New York’s penalty killing woes on their road trip continued as Montreal went 2 for 5 with the man advantage. The Isles killed only nine-of-17 penalties in the four games.

After a scoreless first period, Gallagher was sent in on the right side to beat backup goalie Kevin Poulin with a wrist shot 1:46 into the second.

Bouchard got it back when his shot from the top of the left circle beat Carey Price at 7:23, ending a string of 21 penalty kills over six games by the Canadiens.

Fatigue set in late in the period for New York and Eller one-timed Galchenyuk’s cross-ice pass for his first goal in 13 games. Bournival tipped in a Raphael Diaz point shot from the slot at 19:04.

Nelson closed the gap to one goal on a power play 4:10 into the third when John Tavares’ pass went in off his skate at the edge of the crease.

Gallagher caused a turnover in the New York end and started a tic-tac-toe play that ended with Galchenyuk redirecting the puck under Poulin at 10:37.

Notes — Montreal forward Travis Moen left after the first period with a flu. . . . Forward Gabriel Dumont was called up from AHL Hamilton to play and George Parros sat out. . . . IIHF president Rene Fasel was in attendance, as was former Soviet goaltending great Vladislav Tretiak, who was applauded by the Bell Centre crowd. . . . Hard times for struggling Canadiens centre David Desharnais: Even new Montreal mayor Denis Coderre tweeted that he should be given a one-way ticket to Hamilton.