MONTREAL -- Finally, Tuukka Rask and the Boston Bruins skated away with a win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Rask stopped 31 shots and was the difference in the first two periods to help the Bruins to a third-period comeback in a 3-1 win over their long-time rivals on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre.

The win was Boston's first against Montreal since March 12, 2014, a seven-game stretch in which it went 0-6-1. It also was Rask's fourth victory in 21 career games against the Canadiens.

"They've had their way with us for almost a year and a half, at least, so it was nice for us to get this win tonight," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. We were close last time we were in this building and this time, we got some breaks in the third period that allowed us to score some goals. It's a big win for us.

Left winger Loui Eriksson scored a shorthanded goal while and centers Landon Ferraro Patrice Bergeron also scored for Boston (15-9-3).

Left winger Paul Byron scored and goaltender Mike Condon made 20 saves for the Canadiens (19-7-3), who lost three straight for the first time this season.

Byron's fourth of the season opened the scoring at 8:49 of the first period. After center Tomas Plekanec won the faceoff, Byron picked up the loose puck along the left boards before skating down to the goal line for a pass to the front of the net. Defenseman Zdeno Chara blocked the shot, but Byron got another chance with a shot from the corner that went up in the air before hitting Zach Trotman, in a battle with Plekanec, in front and landing behind Rask.

The Bruins came close to getting on the board early in the second off a Chara point shot. Condon got the pad out to make the save but the loose puck sat to his left before Byron beat a Bruin for the clear.

The visitors would get an even better chance five minutes later. Bergeron forced defenseman Andrei Markov into a turnover in the neutral zone before getting the puck over to left winger Brad Marchand skating down the right side, on a partial 2-on-0 with right winger Brett Connolly. Marchand fired a wrister from the dot but Condon denied him with a glove save.

Eriksson finally got the Bruins on the board at 7:53 of the third period. With Montreal on the power play, Chara knocked down defenseman P.K. Subban's

attempt to get the puck in deep, sending it up to Eriksson, who fought off Jeff Petry before sliding the puck through Condon's legs.

"They closed it up pretty good," Montreal left winger Max Pacioretty said. "We had some shots in the first and second. It's a great play by Chara to spring the guy for a breakaway but we can't take our foot off the gas after that happens because it seemed like up until that point, we're up 1-0 and go on the power play to try and make it 2-0 and then we fell asleep after that one."

The Canadiens had three power plays but generated three shots on goal on those opportunities.

"I think we've got to simplify things, especially on the power play," Subban said. "We've done a good job all year, our power play has been good all year, but I think we have to simplify things and just get pucks to the net. We've got to be willing to go to those dirty areas."

After Eriksson's shorthanded goal Ferraro gave Boston the lead 42 seconds later. After holding a bobbling puck in at the blue line, defenseman Torey Krug's shot toward the corner, hit the left wall before center Ryan Spooner picked it up inside the circle and quickly dished off a backhand pass to Ferraro alone in the slot.

Bergeron extended the Bruins' lead at 13:42 when he took advantage by Montreal's poor defensive coverage in its own end and skated from the low slot to the side of the net before tucking one in glove side on Condon.

"I think it's good for the confidence," Rask said. "We didn't play our best game and still won, and that says something."

NOTES: Called up on Tuesday from the AHL's St. John's IceCaps, LW Charles Hudon was a healthy scratch, alongside D Greg Pateryn and Jarred Tinordi. ... The Bruins scratched RW Tyler Randell, D Joe Morrow and D Colin Miller. ... The game was the third of five meetings between Montreal and Boston this season and the final tune-up before the long-time rivals meet in the 2016 Winter Classic on Jan. 1. ... After clearing waivers on Tuesday, the Canadiens put RW Alexander Semin on unconditional waivers on Wednesday afternoon, for an expected mutually-agreed termination of his contract. ... The game was the 732nd all-time meeting between the Canadiens and Bruins, the most between any two rivals in NHL history.