The Vancouver Canucks (10-13-3) conclude a grueling four-game road trip against the juggernaut Colorado Avalanche (18-1-6), a team that’s captured the NHL’s imagination with a historic start—boasting just one regulation loss through 25 games and a franchise-record-tying 9-1 road outburst earlier this season. Playing at the electric Ball Arena, where the Avs have won eight straight while averaging over five goals per game, this Pacific-Central clash feels like a mismatch on paper, but Vancouver’s opportunistic power play (top-10 efficiency) and Elias Pettersson’s emerging form could keep it competitive if Colorado’s sudden illness bug disrupts their stars. With the Canucks desperate to snap a 2-5-3 slump in their last 10 and the Avalanche eyeing their 40th point (first team to hit it this year), expect Nathan MacKinnon’s MVP bid to test Artūrs Šilovs’ crease in a potential rout—unless the Canucks’ road resilience (7-6-2) forces an upset bid.
Venue
Venue: Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver, CO 80204. Capacity: 18,000. This high-altitude fortress, the Avalanche’s home since 1999, features thin air that favors Colorado’s speed game and a raucous crowd known for “Rocky Mountain High” chants—turning every tilt into a playoff-like cauldron, especially against West foes.
Puckdrop: 9:00 PM ET (6:00 PM PT). Broadcast: ESPN+ (national streaming), Sportsnet Pacific (Canucks local), Altitude TV (Avalanche local), NHL Network (highlights). Late-night window amps drama, with post-game buzz on NHL Tonight dissecting Colorado’s streak.
Team Records
| Team | Overall Record | Home/Away Split | Pacific/Central Division Standings | Key Stats (GF / GA / Power Play %) |
| Vancouver Canucks | 10-13-3 | 3-7-1 Home / 7-6-2 Away | 7th (2-4-1 div.) | 3.0 / 3.7 / 21.4% |
| Colorado Avalanche | 18-1-6 | 10-0-2 Home / 8-1-4 Away | 1st (6-0-3 div.) | 4.1 / 2.1 / 16.3% |
Vancouver ranks 13th in GF (77 total) but dead last (32nd) in GA (95), underscoring offensive flashes amid defensive meltdowns, while Colorado leads the league in GF (103) and GA (52), powering their 1st-place perch with elite possession (top-5 Corsi).
Recent Team Forms
Colorado’s dominance contrasts Vancouver’s inconsistency, setting up a bounce-back opportunity for the visitors amid the Avs’ ailments.
Canucks (2-3-0 in last 5): Vancouver grinded a 2-1 OT loss at Los Angeles on November 29 (Pettersson’s late push falling short), after a 5-4 W vs. Anaheim (November 27), 3-2 W vs. San Jose (November 25), and losses at Calgary (5-2, November 23) and vs. Edmonton (4-3 SO, November 21). Averaging 3.0 GF/3.4 GA in the stretch, with Šilovs’ .905 SV% providing stability sans Demko—road form solid (7-6-2, +0.2 diff.), but 2-5-3 in last 10 signals urgency; ATS 3-2.
Avalanche (5-0-0 in last 5): Colorado demolished Montreal 7-2 on November 29 (MacKinnon three points), extending a 16-game point streak after a 3-0 shutout vs. Nashville (November 26), 1-0 vs. Chicago (November 24), 6-0 vs. San Jose (November 22), and 9-1 at Edmonton (November 8). GF/GA at 5.2/1.4 lately, with Wedgewood/Blackwood’s .920 SV% fueling three straight shutouts (first since 2001)—home unbeaten in regulation (10-0-2, +3.0 diff.); ATS 4-1.
Injury Report
Colorado’s forward corps battles a flu-like bug, thinning their depth just as Vancouver’s blue line stabilizes post-Demko. Updates as of December 1, 2025 (NHL official report, 6:00 PM ET).
| Team | Player | Status | Injury Details | Impact |
| Canucks | Thatcher Demko (G) | OUT | Lower body (groin; 3+ weeks, not on road trip). | Starter (.905 SV%); Šilovs starts, Lankinen backup (personal leave ended)—net stability dips (-0.5 QS%). |
| Canucks | Derek Forbort (D) | OUT | Undisclosed (IR; multi-week). | Top-four shutdown (+ rating); exposes pairs, +10% xGA sans him. |
| Canucks | Guillaume Brisebois (D) | OUT | Lower body (IR since Nov. 20; re-eval Dec. 5). | Depth blueliner; rotations thin. |
| Canucks | Nils Höglander (LW) | OUT | Ankle (IR; 4-6 weeks from Nov. 15). | Third-line energy (0.4 PTS/GP); scoring punch lost (-0.3 GF/60). |
| Canucks | Teddy Blueger (C) | OUT | Lower body (IR; return mid-Dec.). | Penalty-kill specialist; faceoffs drop 6%. |
| Canucks | Kevin Lankinen (G) | PROBABLE | Personal (family birth; returned Nov. 30, backup role). | Relief option (4-7-2, 3.50 GAA); 80% chance if needed. |
| Avalanche | Nathan MacKinnon (C) | DAY-TO-DAY | Illness (missed practice Nov. 30; 50% chance). | Hart favorite (44P: 20G/24A); if out, lines shuffle, -1.2 GF/60. |
| Avalanche | Gabriel Landeskog (LW) | DAY-TO-DAY | Illness (missed practice; recent 3G surge, 60% chance). | Captain (recent form); depth hit if absent. |
| Avalanche | Parker Kelly (C) | DAY-TO-DAY | Illness (missed practice; bottom-six, 70% chance). | Energy forward; minor but compounds bug. |
| Avalanche | Valeri Nichushkin (RW) | PROBABLE | Lower body (full practice Nov. 30 after 8 games out; 85% chance). | Second-line scorer (0.6 PTS/GP); boosts if active. |
| Avalanche | Gavin Brindley (F) | OUT | Lower body (IR; week-to-week). | Rookie depth; negligible. |
| Avalanche | Logan O’Connor (RW) | OUT | Hip (IR; multi-week). | Third-line (0.5 PTS/GP); forward crunch. |
Avs’ illness cluster levels talent gap; Canucks’ D healthier.
Series History
This Northwest tilt dates to 1979 (Vancouver’s inaugural season), with Colorado holding a slight all-time edge in 188 regular-season meetings: 90-83-15 (.513 win%). Playoff scars: Avs lead 2-0 in series (2000s upsets).
Last 10 Meetings: Avalanche 6-4, including a 4-3 Colorado W on March 21, 2025 (MacKinnon GWG), and 5-2 on Jan. 7, 2025. Canucks’ last win: 3-2 on Nov. 1, 2025 (three-game streak snapped).
At Ball Arena: Avalanche 46-39-8 all-time vs. Canucks; Vancouver’s last W there: April 2024 (4-3 OT).
Trends: Overs in 6/10 (avg. 6.1 goals); Colorado 7-3 SU last 10 home vs. VAN. Canucks 4-1 ATS last 5 as road dogs.
Avs’ recent hex (3-game losing streak snapped) favors hosts.
Key Player Matchups
Illness shifts focus to depth; Pettersson vs. secondary could exploit gaps.
Elias Pettersson (Canucks C) vs. Martin Necas (Avalanche RW): Pettersson’s shot volume (17 SOG last 6, 21:35 ATOI) tests Necas’ speed (33P: 13G/20A); PP duel (Pettersson 5:15/night) eyes 2+ points—combined 3+ projected if MacKinnon sits.
Quinn Hughes (Canucks D) vs. Cale Makar (Avalanche D): Hughes’ vision (top-pair PP) clashes with Makar’s Norris form (32P: 9G/23A); transition battle (+5 COL shots projected).
J.T. Miller (Canucks C) vs. Casey Mittelstadt (Avalanche C): Miller’s grit (faceoff 52%) vs. Mittelstadt’s playmaking; even-strength edges Vancouver if illness hits.
Artūrs Šilovs (Canucks G) vs. Mackenzie Blackwood/Scott Wedgewood (Avalanche G): Šilovs’ rebound (.905 SV%) vs. Avs’ duo (.920 SV%, three shutouts); low-danger tips under.
Canucks’ health tilts if Avs stars miss.
Betting Trends
Moneyline: Colorado 18-6 as faves (100% at -328+); Vancouver 7-12 as dogs (36.8% upset rate).
Puck Line: Avs cover 5-5 home; Canucks 7-4 PL road dogs.
Total (O/U): Overs 17/26 VAN/10/25 COL; H2H avg. 6.1 (6/10 over), but Avs under in 4/5.
Trends: Canucks 2-8 SU last 10; Avs 18-1 SU last 19.
Game Odds
Vancouver Canucks 6.5
Colorado Avalanche – 320
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, December 1, 2025
