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Tanner Pearson undoubtedly felt the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders Tuesday night, when he scored the winning goal against Arizona on a breakaway early in the third period.

It was only Pearson’s fifth goal in 40 games this season and his first since Dec. 4 against Seattle, although he missed 19 games after taking a shot off his left hand five days later, against Buffalo.

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“You always want to put the puck in the back of the net,” Pearson said Wednesday after practice at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard and before the Canadiens embarked on a four-game road trip that started Thursday night in Florida. “This year has kind of definitely been funky for that. I was able to break the last (funk) but then got hurt and it kept tumbling again. It definitely felt good to get that one.”

But Pearson, acquired by Montreal in a trade from Vancouver last September for goaltender Casey DeSmith, has more pressing issues with which to deal.

The Canadiens have been left to play out the string over their remaining 23 games, with virtually zero chance of making the playoffs. But the last six weeks of the schedule have significant meaning to Pearson, a 31-year-old forward on an expiring contract. He was signed to a three-year, US$9.75-million contract in April 2021, has a salary of US$4.25 million and a US$3.25-million cap hit.

“Every game matters to me,” he said about his contract being on his mind. “That’s the way I look at it. It’s definitely back there. Obviously you want to put yourself in the best position possible to keep on going. I think I still do have a lot of good hockey left in me. Last year kind of hurt and, this year, it’s (also) there too much. I’ve kept the noise out and kept playing.”

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Pearson was limited to 14 games last season with the Canucks due to a fractured hand — coincidentally suffered against the Canadiens — that required three surgeries. That might have made him expendable in management’s eyes after scoring one goal and adding four assists.

But there’s also some talent there. The left-winger was selected in the first round (30th overall) by Los Angeles in 2012 — twice having been passed over in the draft — and became only the third player in Kings history to make his NHL debut during the Stanley Cup playoffs, winning the championship in 2014, when Pearson scored four goals and had 12 points in 24 post-season games.

The native of Kitchener, Ont., twice has scored more than 20 goals in a season, with Los Angeles and Vancouver, but arguably has failed to live up to expectations and is now on his fourth organization. Pearson started the season on a line with Sean Monahan, since traded to Winnipeg, and Brendan Gallagher, another player beginning to show his age at 31.

Pearson, 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds, has been playing recently on the Canadiens’ fourth line, with Colin White and Jesse Ylönen.

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“Obviously you want to score,” Pearson said. “At the same time, I’ve realized this year I’m not a 24-year-old, 20-goal scorer anymore. I still think I have a knack for the net. I probably have to get to the net a bit more, but I think (the touch) definitely still is there, given the chance.

“I’ve just been trying to play my game and have been doing a good job of that lately,” he added. “It hasn’t shown on the scoreboard, but I think I’ve been playing some pretty solid hockey. That’s all I can do, play a solid, two-way game. Just be a good teammate and veteran. You want to be responsible and be that veteran guy out there, focus on the details and not turn the puck over. Lead by example.”

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, who overcame numerous obstacles in his playing career due to a lack of size, can empathize with any player in Pearson’s plight.

“I’d just say, like anything else, control what you can,” St. Louis said. “It starts with your attitude, your work ethic.”

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