Avalanche vs Canadiens Picks and Prediction – 1/16/2024

On Monday, the Colorado Avalanche (28-12-3) face off against the Montreal Canadiens (17-18-7) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Cole Caufield scored Montreal’s only goal in their 2-1 overtime loss to Edmonton. Get our free NHL Picks all season long!

Montreal hasn’t looked good as of late, entering this game on a three-game losing streak while also dropping four of their last five games. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield both lead the Canadiens in goals with 12, while Mike Matheson leads the team in assists with 23. Suzuki has 22 assists for the team and leads Montreal in points, totaling 34 for the year. Matheson is their second-leading scorer with 29 points on the year. In their last five games, Montreal has allowed an average of 3.4 goals and are hoping to get back on track at home against a powerful opponent in the Avalanche. Montreal currently sits near the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings with 41 points. Overall, the Canadiens have scored an average of 2.71 goals and allowed an average of 3.39 goals per game.

Colorado has looked dominant as of late, winning three in a row and four of their last five. During their 5-3 win against Toronto, Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin each scored a goal and had one assist for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche in goals and assists, totaling 23 goals and 46 assists. MacKinnon also leads the team in points, totaling 69 for the year. Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin each have 22 goals for the year, while Cale Makar has 39 assists for the team. Colorado’s second-leading scorer, Mikko Rantanen, totals 55 for the year. During their last five games, Colorado has scored an average of 4.2 goals as they look to continue their winning streak against a team that is itching to secure a home victory. The Avalanche also sit in second place behind Winnipeg in the Central Division standings with 59 points on the season. Overall, the Avalanche have scored an average of 3.64 goals per game.