Michael Ryder scores twice as Canadiens win 4-1 to hand Jets 5th straight loss

MONTREAL - Michael Ryder scored two goals and set up another as the Montreal Canadiens downed Winnipeg 4-1 to hand the Jets a fifth straight defeat on Thursday night.

Brian Gionta and Alex Galchenyuk also scored for Montreal (24-8-5), which has won four of its last five but was coming off a 5-3 loss in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Winnipeg outshot Montreal 35-24 as back-up goalie Peter Budaj improved to 6-1-1 for the season.

Alexander Burmistrov got his first goal in 18 games for the Jets (18-19-2), whose grip on top spot in the Southwest Division has slipped through a five-game stretch in which they have scored only six goals.

The Jets were swept on a three-game road trip, but they begin a six-game homestand Saturday against Philadelphia.

Winnipeg struck first as Burmistrov was left unguarded on the left side to bang Grant Clitsome's pass into an open net 8:16 into the game.

Montreal got it back on a power play at 10:47 as Ryder was alone at the edge of the crease to push Gionta's rebound past Ondrej Pavelec.

Ryder got his second of the night has he fired the rebound of a Subban shot past a screened Pavelec 2:03 into the second frame.

The veteran winger has nine goals in 17 games since he was acquired from Dallas on Feb. 26, including five in the last five. Subban has eight points in his last five contests.

Gionta was at the net to deflect Lars Eller's shot in on a power play at 5:51.

The Jets felt they had a power-play goal early in the third, but Tobias Enstrom's tally was called back because Blake Wheeler had bumped Budaj in the crease.

Galchenyuk sealed the victory when he was at the doorstep to lift in a puck flipped into the crease area by Ryder 7:43 into the third.

The Canadiens edged the Jets 4-3 in Montreal on Jan. 29. Winnipeg closes out the regular season at home against Montreal on April 25.

A team called the Winnipeg Jets has not won in Montreal since the former franchise (now the Phoenix Coyotes) did it on March 14, 1985.

Notes: Enstrom played his 400th NHL game. . . Mike Santorelli, claimed on waivers from Florida, played his first Jets game as Nik Antropov sat out with a lower body injured sustained Tuesday on Long Island. . . Clitsome returned from one game with an eye injury. . . Montreal was without Tomas Plekanec, who has a suspected groin injury. Gabriel Dumont was recalled from AHL Hamilton but didn't dress as Ryan White returned from a six-game injury layoff.