The Conference-first Montreal Canadiens (37-16-5) will once again wrestle with a non-playoff team capable of playing solid hockey Saturday as they host the Blue Jackets (26-27-3).
Alex Galchenyuk has been ruled out for the second straight game with cold or flu like symptoms. Sergei Gonchar, Alexei Emelin and P.A. Parenteau will also miss with injury.
P.K. Subban skipped the morning skate but is expected to be ready by game time at 7:00 p.m.
Greg Pateryn, Jarred Tinordi and four other rookies are expected to suit up for the Habs, who have taken only one of their possible last four points after losing in 4-2 in Ottawa and then 3-2 in a shootout against the Panthers in Montreal.
"It's an opportunity for these young players to show us where they have reached," Coach Michel Therrien told reporters Saturday morning at a press conference.
Tinordi said that he's happy to play alongside Pateryn. "We've played together for three years now. It's nice to have the comfort of knowing where he's going to be on the ice."
The Blue Jackets are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 55 points in 56 games but are coming off a pair of wins in Pennsylvania, beating the Flyers 5-2 Tuesday and the Penguins 2-1 Thursday.
Nick Foligno is their biggest scoring threat with 22 goals while Ryan Johnsen has 21.
Curtis McElhinney is expected to start for the Blue Jackets. He is 10-9-1 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.71 goals against.
Carey Price, who leads the league in several goaltending categories, will likely get the start for the Canadiens.
Max Pacioretty scored a pair of goals in the teams’ last encounter, a 3-2 Canadiens win in Columbus on January 14. The teams will play one more game on Thursday January 26 in Columbus.
