The Montreal Canadiens (29-17-7) are set to host the Colorado Avalanche (35-7-9), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
With just four games left before the 2026 Winter Olympic break, every point matters in the playoff race, making this yet another crucial game for the Habs.
The Avalanche will be wearing their Quebec Nordiques jerseys, in a bid to squeeze the last few dollars from the nostalgia tree that powers much of the NHL’s marketing. Unfortunately for Quebec residents, it’s simply a reminder that they are no closer to seeing their team return than they were in 1995, when they lost their beloved franchise in the first place.
As it stands, the Avalanche represent the best team in the NHL, with 79 points already banked this season, but they’ve shown signs of slowing down in recent days.
They’re fresh off a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night, and have only won four of their last 10 games, removing much of the early-season sense of dominance they instilled throughout the league.
Of course, regardless of their form, there’s no doubt the Avalanche present a significant challenge for the Canadiens, especially when we remember Colorado dominated the first meeting, emerging with a one-sided 7-2 win.
Lineup Changes, Starting Goalie
There are no expected lineup changes, therefore we should expect rookie netminder Jakub Dobes to serve as Montreal’s starter. Based on their numbers this season, it’s clear that Dobes has outplayed his veteran counterpart, Samuel Montembeault, by a considerable margin.
Dobes should be considered Montreal’s starter moving forward, though that may change now that the team has a new goaltending coach in place. Marco Marciano replaced Eric Raymond, earning a promotion after spending several seasons working with the myriad of netminders that donned a Laval Rocket jersey.
All eyes will be on Cole Caufield on Thursday night, a player who has found a new gear since being snubbed by Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympic games. Caufield has scored nine goals in the last six games, including a pair of game-winning goals.
For what it’s worth, most of Caufield’s goal-scoring has come at 5v5, where he’s currently tied with three other players for fourth in the NHL, with 17 goals.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Alex Texier
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc – Jake Evans – Kirby Dach
Josh Anderson – Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Lane Hutson – Kaiden Guhle
Arber Xhekaj – Alex Carrier
Jakub Dobes
Colorado Avalanche Projected Lineup
Victor Olofsson – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Artturi Lehkonen – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Taylor Makar – Jack Drury – Gavin Brindley
Zakhar Bardakov – Parker Kelly – Joel Kiviranta
Sam Malinski – Cale Makar
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Keaton Middleton – Samuel Girard
Scott Wedgewood
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Avalanche
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Colorado Avalanche, Thursday, January 29, 2026, will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle takes place.
