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Devils forward Adam Henrique suffered a lower body injury during Monday night's game in Montreal.

(Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

Devils forward Adam Henrique, who will center the third line with Damien Brunner and Michael Ryder Wednesday night against the Canadiens, said he expects no lingering effects from his lower body injury.



"I don't think so. It felt good, so just move forward," he said after the morning skate. "They worked some magic yesterday. Good to go."



Henrique missed the third period of Mondays night's game in Montreal when he got tangled up with Montreal's Alexei Emelin with 2:29 left in the first period. He played the second period but did not come out for the third.



"I just kind of got mixed up there and I was sore after," Henrique said. "It was bothering me througth the second (period). It wasn't the same so I didn't think it was smart to push it in the third. The day off helped. I feel good out there."

Coach Pete DeBoer said he will use Andrei Loktionov at center on the fourth line with Tim Sestito and Cam Janssen.

"Good sign that Adam is okay. I've got Adam back in the middle. We have to find third and fourth lines that are reliable and can contribute and have a positive effect on the game. That's what we're trying to do."

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As expected, winger Stefan Matteau was among the 26 players selected to participate in Team USA’s world junior championship training camp Dec. 15-18 at the University of Minnesota's Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

Defenseman Steve Santini, the Devils' second round pick (42nd overall) in the 2013 entry draft, was also picked.

Preparations will continue in Angelholm, Sweden, before the final 23-man roster is announced on Dec. 23.

The U.S. will play three games before the start of the IIHF world junior championships, including Dec. 17 against Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., and contests in Angelholm vs. Finland on Dec. 20 and Sweden on Dec. 22.

The Devils will allow Matteau, who is playing in Albany, to take part in the world junior championships.

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What does it say about the Devils that Reid Boucher, Eric Gelinas and Jon Merrill, who all started the season in Albany (AHL), will be in the lineup against the Canadiens? Tim Sestito will also play.

"We're looking for answers in order to win consistently," DeBoer said. "When you look at the last 15 or 20 games, if you throw out the first 10, we've found a way to compete consistently and find a way to win games. I don't think it's an accident that when we started plugging those guys in the lineup things started to happen in a positive sense for us.



"Not every experiment is going to work. Not every young guy is going to come in (and play well). We've got young guys here that haven't seized the opportunity. But we have others who have."

DeBoer said he plans to use Boucher on the power play at some point.



"Definitely a consideration with his talents. I don't know yet whether we'll do that tonight, but it's definitely something we talked to him about and discussed internally," DeBoer said.

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Cory Schneider will start against the Canadiens. Peter Budaj starts for Montreal.

Martin Brodeur, who started Monday night in Montreal, was asked if it feels strange when he doesn't face the Canadiens.

"Yeah, it is," he said without elaborating.

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DeBoer on Ryane Clowe: "Everything is positive, heading in the right direction but no time frame."

He hasn't played since Oct. 13 because of a head injury.