Pat Hickey runs down what you should know about Thursday’s game

THE MATCHUP

The Canadiens are wrapping up a five-game homestand. Montreal is 1-2-1 in this stretch and has lost its last three games to drop out of a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. The Devils are in better shape after a 5-1 win over L.A. Wednesday in Newark. The win moved the surprising Devils back into third in the Metropolitan Division at 17-9-4. The Devils are 10-4-2 on the road.

PUCK STOPS HERE

Carey Price was dynamite this month when he and the Canadiens went on a five-game winning streak, but struggled during the past three games, giving up 11 goals. He has an 8-9-2 record with a 3.16 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage on the season. The Devils will start Cory Schneider who has a 2.64 goals-against average, along with a solid .920 save percentage to go with his 12-6-3 record.

CARR TO RESCUE

One of the few bright spots for the Canadiens the past two weeks has been the fourth line led by Daniel Carr. He has a point in each of the five games he has played since being recalled from the Laval Rocket, with two goals and five assists. During Wednesday’s practice, Carr was placed on the No. 2 power play unit with Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens rank 20th on the power play with a 17.82 per cent success rate.

NO TAYLOR HALL

The Canadiens get one break in this game — they won’t have to face Taylor Hall, the Devils’ leading scorer. Hall scored two goals in Wednesday’s win over the Kings, but left the game after a knee-on-knee collision with the Kings’ Kurtis MacDermid. Devils coach John Hynes said Hall suffered a bruised knee, but there is no structural damage. Hall leads the Devils with 11 goals and 31 points. The Devils also announced Marcus Johnsson has been placed on injured reserve with a bruised ankle.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The Canadiens are going on the road for seven games starting with Saturday’s NHL 100 Classic outdoor game against the Senators at TD Place. This isn’t good news because (a) the Canadiens don’t have a good record in this annual pilgrimage around the Christmas holiday ( b) the trip includes a threegame swing through Western Canada, where the Canadiens have struggled, and (c) the Canadiens have a 5-7-1 record on the road.