The Colorado Avalanche (35-7-9) visit the Montreal Canadiens (29-17-7) in an interconference clash that features the high-flying Avalanche offense against a Canadiens team riding a three-game winning streak. Colorado, second in the Central Division, has been dominant on the road with a 15-4-5 record away, but faces a Montreal squad that has won 16 of 27 at home. The series is tied 1-1 this season, with the Avalanche winning 4-2 on Nov. 29 behind Nathan MacKinnon’s hat trick, and the Canadiens responding with a 3-2 overtime victory on Jan. 15. Without key contributors on both sides due to injuries, expect a defensive grind where Colorado’s scoring depth could prevail, but Montreal’s goaltending and special teams keep them competitive for crucial points in the playoff race.
Venue Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT). The game will be broadcast on ALT, TSN2, RDS, and ESPN+, with radio coverage on SiriusXM.
Recent Team Forms
The Avalanche have been consistent, going 4-4-2 in their last 10 with a focus on high-volume shooting and efficient power play. The Canadiens are 5-4-1 in their last 10, emphasizing physical play and strong goaltending during their current streak.
Colorado Avalanche (Last 10 Games: 4-4-2, Avg. 3.9 GPG)
Recent Streak: Lost 1.
Key Results:
Jan. 28 @ OTT: L 2-5 (Toews absent; poor special teams).
Jan. 26 vs. BOS: W (Recent win).
Jan. 24 @ BUF: L 2-4.
Jan. 22 vs. MIN: W 3-2.
Jan. 20 vs. OTT: OT W 5-4.
Strengths: League-leading offense (3.9 GPG); Power play at 34.9% (1st in NHL); MacKinnon averaging 1.8 PPG. Weaknesses: Allowing 2.3 GAA; Penalty kill dips in losses.
Montreal Canadiens (Last 10 Games: 5-4-1, Avg. 3.4 GPG)
Recent Streak: Won 3 straight.
Key Results:
Jan. 28 vs. BOS: OT W (Recent OT win).
Jan. 26 vs. BUF: L (Recent loss).
Jan. 24 @ WSH: OT L.
Jan. 22 vs. VAN: W.
Jan. 20 vs. DET: L.
Strengths: Solid home defense (2.9 GAA at home); Efficient scoring (3.4 GPG); Suzuki leading with points. Weaknesses: Power play at 26.2% (mid-pack); Struggles vs. top offenses.
Injury Report
Injuries significantly impact both teams, with the Avalanche missing defensive depth and the Canadiens potentially without key forwards.
Colorado Avalanche:
OUT: Gabriel Landeskog (LW, upper body; out indefinitely).
OUT: Logan O’Connor (RW, hip; out for season).
DAY-TO-DAY: Devon Toews (D, upper body; questionable).
DAY-TO-DAY: Ross Colton (C, lower body; questionable).
Montreal Canadiens:
OUT: Patrik Laine (RW, abdomen; out indefinitely).
DAY-TO-DAY: Brendan Gallagher (RW, undisclosed; questionable).
DAY-TO-DAY: Alex Newhook (C, undisclosed; questionable).
Key Player Matchups
Avalanche Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Mikko Rantanen; Jonathan Drouin – Casey Mittelstadt – Valeri Nichushkin; Miles Wood – Ross Colton (if available) – Logan O’Connor (out); Joel Kiviranta – Ivan Ivan – Nikolai Kovalenko.
Canadiens Forwards: Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky; Kirby Dach – Christian Dvorak – Josh Anderson; Brendan Gallagher (questionable) – Alex Newhook (questionable) – Joel Armia; Emil Heineman – Jake Evans – Rafael Harvey-Pinard.
Avalanche Defense: Cale Makar – Devon Toews (questionable); Samuel Girard – Josh Manson; Calvin de Haan – Erik Brannstrom.
Canadiens Defense: Mike Matheson – Kaiden Guhle; Lane Hutson – David Savard; Jayden Struble – Justin Barron.
Goalies: Avalanche – Alexandar Georgiev (35 GP, 22-5-5, 2.58 GAA, .905 SV%); Canadiens – Sam Montembeault (29 GP, 15-9-4, 2.85 GAA, .900 SV%).
Key Matchups:
Nathan MacKinnon vs. Nick Suzuki: MacKinnon (35 G, 60 A) brings speed and scoring; Suzuki (20 G, 35 A) must contain with two-way play.
Mikko Rantanen vs. Kaiden Guhle: Rantanen (28 G, 40 A) tests Guhle’s shutdown ability.
Cale Makar vs. Cole Caufield: Makar (15 G, 45 A) vs. Caufield’s sniping (25 G).
Goalie Duel: Georgiev vs. Montembeault: Georgiev’s consistency vs. Montembeault’s home strength.
Series History
All-time: Avalanche lead 62-58-12-6 in 138 games (including Quebec Nordiques era). Playoffs: Avalanche 4-0 in series (1996 Cup Final). Recently: Avalanche 4-1 in last 5; Canadiens won last 3-2 OT on Jan. 15, 2026. This season: Tied 1-1 (Avalanche 4-2 on Nov. 29; Canadiens 3-2 OT on Jan. 15).
Betting Trends
ATS Trends: Avalanche 27-23 ATS (15-10 as favorite); Canadiens 30-23 ATS (14-13 as underdog). Avalanche 4-6 ATS in last 10 road; Canadiens 5-5 ATS in last 10 home. Over in 6 of Avalanche’s last 8; Under in 5 of Canadiens’ last 7 vs. Central teams.
Game Odds
Colorado Avalanche – 130
Montreal Canadiens 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, January 28, 2026
