Anaheim had lost nine straight on the road (0-7-2).
"We still didn't sustain a full 60 (minutes) for me, but we sustained much more than we have been," Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. "You know when you're a team like we are right now in a kind of full rebuild mode it is tough to sustain it, but that's our goal every night. … I do think we're better than our record, but our record is our record and we own it. So I did like how we played overall. I'd still like a couple of those five, six-minute spurts back as well."
Cole Caufield scored twice in the third for the Canadiens (14-14-2), who lost 3-2 at the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. Jake Allen made 27 saves.
"It's our job, you've got to come to work ready to go no matter what," Caufield said. "Even if it was a back to back, traveling last night, we had the things to take care of ourselves. So, there's no reason for us to come out flat like we did tonight."