Jan 29, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (14) scores a goal against Colorado Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood (41) during the first period at the Bell Centre. | Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
I’m a big fan of this blue versus red jersey battle with the Avalanche in Nordiques blue. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Canadiens wear their reds when they go to Minnesota next week either.
First period
It’s a pretty quick start for the Avalanche, but Jakub Dobeš is quicker to make the first couple of saves.
Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson are making up a pairing tonight, and they just combined for the opening goal of the game. Hutson walked into the slot looking at the net the whole time, then quickly shifted the puck over to an open Dobson, who beat Scott Wedgewood with a one-timer.
OZ draw win, Lane Hutson takes his time and lets Noah Dobson get set up for a one-timer to take a 1-0 lead for the #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) January 29, 2026 at 8:14 PM
On the next shift with Hutson and Dobson on the ice, Brock Nelson ties the game. Hutson tried to block the shot, but Nelson’s quick release got it through the stick-check anyway, and Dobeš has beaten glove-side.
Keaton Middleton is called for cross-checking, and that will give the Canadiens a chance to retake the lead.
And, after a short-handed chance for Colorado, they do just that. Ivan Demidov takes a shot from near the blue line, and Wedgewood spills a rebound right onto the stick of Nick Suzuki’ who records his 60th point of the season with his 17th goal.
Ivan Demidov puts one on goal, and Nick Suzuki cashes the rebound to make it 2-1 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) January 29, 2026 at 8:21 PM
The number 17 goes from good to bad for Montreal as Josh Anderson is sent off for tripping. An important penalty kill is coming up.
I think I see why the Avalanche’s power play has been so poor this season. It looks like Montreal’s of (not so) old, making drop-passes just for the sake of making drop-passes.
Their latest attempt to get the puck in the zone is intercepted by Oliver Kapanen, and he fires a backhand lob out to the neutral zone that falls perfectly for Suzuki. He goes in with a deke, and scores his second special-teams goal of the night.
Shorthanded, Oliver Kapanen just lobs the puck out, and Nick Suzuki gets a breakaway with some great anticipation. 3-1 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) January 29, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Let that be a lesson for Suzuki (and everyone else) to approach their penalty shots with speed rather than a slow series of dekes.
The Avalanche have given up more goals in 7:33 than they’re averaging per game this season.
Now they need to keep their foot down and continue to add on. This game is far from over with the amount of skill Colorado possesses.
Demidov has his stick break on an attempted shot (someone please get him some new ones), and still that line generates about four scoring chances as he takes the long route to get a new one. They’ve been working the puck really well in the offensive zone the past couple of games.
A great pivot by Kirby Dach allows him to take the puck from behind the net to above the goal line for a scoring chance. That would have been a nice way for him to get the first point since his return.
Colorado’s top line almost reduces the deficit as Dobeš kicks out a huge rebound for Nathan MacKinnon, but the Canadiens recover to thwart the sudden scoring chance.
Just four shots for Colorado in that period. You couldn’t have drawn up a much better period for the Habs.
Second period
The period begins with Cole Caufield going off as he whacks Artturi Lehkonen in the face with his stick going into a board battle.
Matheson got too cute playing the puck behind his net and it ended up going right out to MacKinnon in the slot. Montreal has dodged a couple of bullets on MacKinnon chances in the last few minutes of game time.
Otherwise, the penalty is killed without much fuss.
Colorado has come out looking better, however, already with as many shots as they had in the opening frame.
Sam Malinski tries to knock the puck out of the air, but hits Demidov in the face instead. Another Canadiens power play.
The Avalanche did better to kill that one off, with just a couple of half chances for Montreal.
Dobeš makes an excellent save on Parker Kelly who gets the puck alone in the low slot. He’s saved a few goals in his last two starts.
Ross Colton takes a whack at Dobeš despite the puck clearly being frozen, and five Habs skaters converge on him. You don’t mess with the number one.
Dobeš makes another save on Samuel Girard on a breakaway, then robs Martin Necas moments later. The game could be tied, but Montreal still holds a two-goal edge, thanks to the man whose name is now being chanted at the Bell Centre.
The saves inspire a better effort from the Habs who spend a few shifts cycling the puck in the offensive zone.
Kaiden Guhle jumps up to try to keep pressure on in the offensive zone, and as he tries to poke the puck around Josh Manson, Manson braces for a hit instead. The result is a forearm to Guhle’s head, and hard hit to his arm from Manson’s hip, but I don’t think Manson did any of it intentionally. The crowd isn’t happy as the officials review and determine there’s no penalty on the play, but I do believe that’s the correct call. Unfortunate for Guhle, who is having a hard time staying healthy.
Unfazed, Montreal continues the pressure they were showing for a few shifts when Guhle got hurt.
Just hurt it seems. He’s already back on the bench.
And now sending Lehkonen horizontal with a big hit in his zone. He looks okay.
Excellent work from Jake Evans sees him chase down Wedgewood behind the net, push the stick of a goaltender who isn’t expecting it, and then wraps the puck into an empty net. That’s the Evans Montreal needs for the final third of the season.
If you’re a goaltender, tend the goal, says Jake Evans.
4-1 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) January 29, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Guhle gets an assist on the play. That hit might be the best thing that ever happened to him….
Wedgewood must have still been thinking about his blunder as Dach played the puck behind the net, because Dach just flings the puck in the goalie’s direction, and banks it off his leg and in for a 5-1 lead.
Wings for everyone before the second period is even done.
As the crowd gets on Wedgewood, Dobeš makes another big save, but can’t quite recover to stop the rebound chance from Joel Kiviranta. The game didn’t really require mocking the opposing goalie anyway. Just enjoy the goals.
You can tell the Avalanche are embarrassed by their effort as they’ve come out looking the best they have all game. Don’t assume these two points are in the bank just yet.
Suzuki leads a two-on-one, but the rebound is so big off Wedgewood that Texier can’t catch up with it to knock it in.
A few too many great looks for Colorado that period to say it was a great one for Montreal despite the scoreline, but high-danger chances being even at five apiece is pretty good for the second period especially.
Third period
These first five minutes are big. Survive those, and the Habs will be in good shape. This three-goal lead doesn’t feel all that comfortable to me.
Slafkovský must have picked up one of Demidov’s sticks by mistake. It breaks at a bad time in the defensive zone, but once again Dobeš saves the situation.
With the play in Montreal’s period for an extended shift, Phillip Danault spins back against the flow and buys some time for his team. That’s the type of veteran play Hughes was hoping for when Danault was brought in.
It’s beginning to look more like a shell for Montreal now. I don’t like it.
At 4:38, Colorado scores. The first five minutes aren’t survived, and now we’re two shots away from a tie.
Alexandre Carrier understands the situation. He dives to break up a dangerous-looking pass in the defensive zone, then sees a chance for an odd-man rush and races up the ice. He accepts the cross-ice pass from Suzuki, and puts it in the net to restore the three-goal lead.
Colorado pressing, but the Habs get it out to Nick Suzuki, and he sets up Alex Carrier to make it 6-3 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) January 29, 2026 at 10:12 PM
That’s four goals in the last nine games for Carrier. Extend that out to an 82-games season and it’s a 36-goal pace.
That just might kill whatever spirit the Avalanche were mustering up in the third period of a back-to-back. Huge goal.
Aggressive forwards, conservative defenceman staying back to cover counters. In my opinion, that’s the winning defensive strategy with a lead.
Here comes the wave.
And a seventh goal. Slafkovský smacks his stick on the ice wanting the puck from Kapanen. He gets it and misses the net, but the puck obliges his demand by coming right to him off an Avalanche defenceman so he can pound it into the net.
Demidov starts it with a great cross-ice pass, Kapanen ends up shoveling it out front and Juraj Slafkovsky makes it 7-3 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) January 29, 2026 at 10:20 PM
So Dobeš is starting Saturday in Buffalo. There’s no decision to be made.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) I thought the same thing as that puck went in
2) So who volunteers to get a new hip on Saturday?
1) It’s nice for the relocated Quebec teams to leave a lasting legacy
