Canadiens @ Predators

Who will WIN this matchup?

Montreal Canadiens (31-18-7)

@ Nashville Predators (33-21-5)

Starting Goalies:

Carey Price(MON): Unconfirmed

Pekka Rinne(NSH): Likely 

Current odds:

Montreal Canadiens: (+145)

Nashville Predators: (-165)

• The Nashville Predators are trying to keep pace with the first-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division but they must find a way to rectify their recent struggles at home. The Predators have dropped three consecutive games overall and will look to avoid losing their third straight at Bridgestone Arena when they host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. After losing both ends of a home-and-home to St. Louis over the weekend, Nashville came out on the short end of a 3-2 decision to visiting Detroit on Tuesday night. “I think sometimes (we) get a little too individual and we’re on our own page,” said Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, who was acquired from Montreal in a blockbuster trade for Shea Weber in June 2016. “We have to be on the same page in how we play the game.”

• The Canadiens are 8-1-2 in their last 11 entering the opener of a three-game road trip and could have extra motivation when Weber appears in his 900th game in the city where he played for 11 seasons. “I hope the guys like him enough that they want to go out there and win,” Montreal coach Claude Julien said. “Hopefully, they’ll leave it all out there on the ice and it’s a game to remember.”

• Montreal, which has been idle since a 4-3 overtime loss to Toronto on Saturday, made separate trades with Philadelphia and Los Angeles to bring in forwards Dale Weise and Nate Thompson and defenseman Christian Folin. Weise, who spent parts of three seasons (2014-16) with the Canadiens, and Thompson have joined Nicolas Deslauriers on the fourth line. “It’s going to take a little while to get our chemistry going, but we’re hard-nosed guys,” Weise said. “We play along the walls, we’re going to get to the net, be physical and be reliable.”

• Forward Viktor Arvidsson missed nearly the entire months of November and December but he has been on a goal-scoring binge over the past four weeks by scoring 11 times over the last 12 games to boost his team-leading total to 25. Arvidsson, who amassed 60 goals over the previous two campaigns, joined linemate Filip Forsberg and Jason Arnott as the only players in franchise history to reach 25 in three consecutive seasons. Top-line center Ryan Johansen has collected a pair of assists in back-to-back contests to give him eight points during a five-game streak.

• Forsberg also is riding a five-game point streak.

• Canadiens G Carey Price is 7-0-1 in his last eight starts overall and 4-4-2 with a 2.06 goals-against average versus Nashville.

• Predators backup G Juuse Saros made 27 saves in a 4-1 win at Montreal on Jan. 5.