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Montreal Canadiens vs. Colorado Avalanche: Preview, Predictions and Picks for January 4, 2025

Updated on:
Jan 4, 2025 8:00 PM
The Montreal Canadiens, currently sitting at 17-18-3, will face off against the surging Colorado Avalanche, who bring a 24-15-0 record into their matchup at Ball Arena on January 4th. The Avalanche look to extend their win streak, while the Canadiens seek to snap their opponent's momentum in this inter-divisional showdown. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM Saturday.
Montreal Canadiens vs Colorado Avalanche

Current Odds

MTL
COL
Over
3.5
+135
Under
3.5
-157
MTL
+1.5
+120
COL
-1.5
-155
MTL
ML
+550
COL
ML
-661

Canadiens vs Avalanche statistics

Stat Canadiens Avalanche
Goals For per Game 3.00 3.46
Goals Against Average 3.42 3.28
Shots per Game 25.4 29.6
Shots Against per Game 29.2 26.7
Power Play Goals 25 28
Power Play Goals Against 23 24
Short Handed Goals 4 2
Short Handed Goals Against 0 0
Penalty Minutes 383 282
Power Play Percentage 21.7 23.7
Penalty Kill Percentage 82.4 76.2

Colorado Avalanche recent games

Game Date Opponent Result Score
1/2/25 vs Buffalo Sabres W 6-5 OT
12/31/24 vs Winnipeg Jets W 5-2
12/27/24 @ Utah Hockey Club W 4-1
12/22/24 vs Seattle Kraken W 5-2
12/20/24 @ Anaheim Ducks W 4-2

Montreal Canadiens recent games

Game Date Opponent Result Score
12/31/24 @ Vegas Golden Knights W 3-2
12/29/24 @ Tampa Bay Lightning W 5-2
12/28/24 @ Florida Panthers W 4-0
12/23/24 @ Columbus Blue Jackets L 5-4
12/21/24 vs Detroit Red Wings W 5-1

Colorado Avalanche injuries

  • Scott Wedgewood (G): Out
  • Valeri Nichushkin (RW): Out
  • Gabriel Landeskog (LW): Injured Reserve
  • Oliver Kylington (D): Injured Reserve
  • Ivan Ivan (C): Injured Reserve

Montreal Canadiens injuries

  • David Savard (D): Day-To-Day
  • Patrik Laine (LW): Day-To-Day
  • Alexandre Carrier (D): Injured Reserve
  • Kaiden Guhle (D): Day-To-Day
  • Rafael Harvey-Pinard (LW): Injured Reserve

Canadiens vs Avalanche game info

Type Info
Venue Ball Arena
Location Denver, CO
Puck drop Sat 7:00 PM

Canadiens vs Avalanche predictions

When it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, we just can't ignore the dynamic duo of Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Picture this: Caufield, armed with 20 goals this season, skating like lightning across the ice, looking to shake up the Avalanche defense. He's hungry to add a few more notches to his goal tally. Meanwhile, Suzuki remains the spine of their playmaking with 26 assists and a total of 37 points so far. These two have a bit of chemistry that could create problems for Colorado if left unchecked. It's going to be interesting to see if they can crack that Colorado defensive armor at the Ball Arena.

Shifting focus to the Colorado Avalanche, there's a familiar face on the rise – Mikko Rantanen. With 22 goals, Rantanen is bound to make waves and set the game tempo early on. Add Nathan MacKinnon into that equation, with his staggering 50 assists and total of 64 points, and you have a duo not to be trifled with. Imagine these two setting the pace and pushing forward, determined to dictate the game from the get-go. The pairing has been fruitful and quite entertaining to watch, with MacKinnon’s precision feeding into Rantanen’s raw goal-scoring prowess.

The odds are leaning heavily toward a Colorado win, and it's easy to see why. With the Avalanche bringing a winning streak into this game and that home-ice advantage at the Ball Arena, the home crowd energy could very well be a decisive factor. The Avalanche's seamless offense and fortified defense provide a powerful combination that might just outshine Montreal’s efforts. It's shaping up to be a thrilling face-off, with Colorado holding the upper hand. What do you think? Will Montreal pull off a surprise victory or will Colorado continue its winning ways? My instinct tells me the Avalanche will clinch this one. What a game this is gearing up to be.

Colorado Avalanche

No
Colorado Avalanche
players

Montreal Canadiens

No
Montreal Canadiens
players

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