Sputtering Canadiens can end Jets' season

WINNIPEG -- The Montreal Canadiens look to remedy their sputtering play when they visit the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre.

The Canadiens, who have four wins in their past 10 games, have an invitation to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Jets, meanwhile, are clinging to the faintest of postseason hopes.

Montreal coach Michel Therrien will insert rookie defensemen Jarred Tinordi, whom the Canadiens recalled from the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League this week, and pair him with veteran Francis Bouillon. Tinordi, whom the Canadiens selected with the 22nd pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, was named the Bulldogs' defenseman of the year along with fellow rookie Nathan Beaulieu. Tinordi will replace Yannick Weber on the Montreal blue line.

Travis Moen will sit out his second consecutive game for the Canadiens, and Ryan White will serve the final game of his five-game NHL suspension.

Jets coach Claude Noel said he will not alter his lineup but could juggle his defensive pairings. The Jets are missing top defensemen Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom. They also remain without centermen Olli Jokinen and Jim Slater.

Montreal's Carey Price will make his seventh consecutive start in goal and face Winnipeg workhorse Ondrej Pavelec, who will close out the Jets' regular season with his 13th straight starting assignment.

Here are the projected lineups for the Canadiens and Jets:

CANADIENS

Max Pacioretty – David Desharnais – Brendan Gallagher

Michael Ryder – Tomas Plekanec – Brian Gionta

Alex Galchenyuk – Lars Eller – Rene Bourque

Brandon Prust – Gabriel Dumont – Colby Armstrong

P.K. Subban – Josh Gorges

Raphael Diaz – Andrei Markov

Francis Bouillon – Jarred Tinordi

Carey Price

Peter Budaj

Scratched: Davis Drewiske, Jeff Halpern, Tomas Kaberle, Travis Moen, Yannick Weber, Ryan White (suspended)

Injured: Alexei Emelin (knee)

JETS

Andrew Ladd – Bryan Little – Blake Wheeler

Evander Kane – Nik Antropov – James Wright

Eric Tangradi – Alexander Burmistrov – Mike Santorelli

Antti Miettinen – Aaron Gagnon – Chris Thorburn

Derek Meech – Dustin Byfuglien

Grant Clitsome – Ron Hainsey

Mark Stuart – Paul Postma

Ondrej Pavelec

Al Montoya

Scratched: Arturs Kulda, Jacob Trouba

Injured: Zach Bogosian (upper body), Tobias Enstrom (upper body), Olli Jokinen (lower body), Anthony Peluso (hand), Zach Redmond (thigh), Jim Slater (hand)