Canadiens' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Scratched again

Kotkaniemi (rest) will remain out of the lineup against San Jose on Thursday, Eric Engels of Sportsnet.ca reports.

While Kotkaniemi was held out of the lineup initially in order to rest, his exclusion for Thursday's tilt likely is due to the fact the Habs won 3-1 against Los Angeles on Tuesday, and coach Claude Julien doesn't want to change a winning lineup. The Finnish center has racked up 32 points in 66 games and put together a solid rookie campaign.