BOS@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL – The Canadiens close out their season series with the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on Thursday night.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:

1. Thursday’s game is the end of a three-game homestand for the Canadiens, who have split the first two contests. After losing 3-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, the Habs bounced back with a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Montreal scored three goals in the game’s first six minutes, with Brendan Gallagher, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Joshua Roy lighting the lamp. In goal, Cayden Primeau earned his second career shutout with a 41-save performance that earned him the game’s first star.

2. Gallagher put a halt to a two-game pointless streak with his goal, but for the other two scorers on Tuesday, their markers were a continuation of a productive run the past few games. The same can be said for some of the players who assisted on those goals: in addition to Slafkovsky and Roy, Mike Matheson – who earned a helper on the Slafkovsky goal – and Alex Newhook – who got an apple on Roy’s – have all picked up at least three points in as many games. Meanwhile, Cole Caufield’s assist on Slafkovsky’s goal gave him his sixth point in six contests.

For his part, Primeau will have to wait to see if he’ll keep his Bell Centre shutout streak, which now spans two games, alive. That’s because head coach Martin St-Louis announced on Wednesday that Samuel Montembeault would be between the pipes against Boston; he has a .913 save percentage in his last five starts.

3. At the other end of the rink, the Bruins currently hold second place in the Atlantic Division with 91 points. Boston has just two regulation losses in its past seven games, but will be looking to bounce back after falling 5-1 to the St. Louis Blues at home on Monday.

The Bruins have been tough to solve for the Canadiens of late, as Montreal has only one win in its last 13 matchups with Boston. That win came on November 11, when Kaiden Guhle scored in overtime to give the Habs a 3-2 victory at the Bell Centre.

Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak lead the way with six points apiece against the Canadiens this season, while Charlie Coyle and James van Riemsdyk are right behind them with four each.

4. The Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation will host the 15th edition of its RadioTéléDON on Thursday. Fans can already support the cause by donating online at onegoaltoassist.com or by texting "HABS" to 45678 to make a one-time, $10 donation. Those who donate $50 or more will automatically receive a souvenir photo as a thank you for their generosity.

5. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. You can catch all the action on TSN2 or RDS on television, or on TSN 690 or 98,5 fm on the radio. For tickets, click here.