Colorado Avalanche vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Prediction for Saturday November 14 2026

Colorado heads to Montreal Saturday night for a 7 PM ET game at Bell Centre. The Avalanche lost 4-3 in overtime to Ottawa on Thursday and had two key players leave with injuries. The Canadiens did the opposite on Thursday and ended up getting a win on the road in Boston by a score of 5-2. The injuries to the Avalanche players is what is key in this game and what could make this game even more interesting. Make sure you are prepared for all the NHL action with our free NHL picks.

Colorado Can Score, but the Injuries Are a Concern

The Avalanche dropped to an 11-6-3 overall record after Thursday’s overtime loss in Ottawa. Now what is impressive is the last 4 games have seen Colorado getting a point in each of the games. However, the Avalanche have been playing in some close games lately and has not always been coming up on the winning side of the puck and against Montreal that could spell disaster.

The Avalanche offense is putting in 4.05 goals per game, which is among the best marks in hockey. However, the offense has to keep a high level of production as the defense is allowing 3.15 goals per game.. The Avalanche are able to get shots off to a clip of 30.4 shots per game and the defense is only allowing 27.4. The Avalanche power play is converting 23.9%, and the penalty kill is sitting at 80.3% of power plays killed off.

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both left Thursday’s game with lower-body injuries. That’s a major concern. MacKinnon had 30 points through 20 games entering the night, and Makar is a huge part of Colorado’s defense. To make it even worse than that the Avalanche also have Josh Manson and Zachary L’Heureux on the injury report. If MacKinnon and Makar can’t play Saturday, it could end up being a huge game, but only if you are a Canadiens fan.

Montreal Has Been Tough to Beat

The Canadiens are 12-3-4 overall and have earned points in 12 straight games. The last game on the ice for Montreal was a very impressive 5-2 victory in Boston. The Canadiens in the win were able to put in all 5 goals before the Bruins found the back of the net once. That was a nice bounce back win after losing to the Minnesota Wild in the game prior by a score of 2-1 in overtime. 

The Montreal offense is averaging 3.53 goals per game. Now, the defense for Montreal is allowing 3.00 goals per game. When it comes to shot production the Canadiens generate 27.8 shots a night and the defense is allowing 28.3. The power play for Montreal has been horrible this year converting at a clip of 13.8%.

Montreal got an important piece back Thursday when Mike Matheson returned after missing six games with a lower-body injury. Ivan Demidov remains on the injury list, but that has not really slowed down the Canadiens on the season as they have been able to play consistent hockey and scoring on a regular basis. 

Colorado Avalanche vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Prediction

Pick: Montreal Canadiens Moneyline

I’m taking Montreal. The Canadiens just went into Boston and scored five goals, and they’ve been earning points almost every night. Colorado can absolutely win this game if its lineup is healthy. The Avalanche average more than four goals a night, and that’s not something you ignore. But I’m not going to pretend the injuries to MacKinnon and Makar don’t matter. If either one misses Saturday, Colorado loses a major part of its offense. Montreal is at home, playing well and getting good goaltending. I like the Canadiens here, provided the final injury information doesn’t change the matchup substantially.

Total Pick: Under 6.5 Goals

I’d lean under at 6.5. Colorado has been scoring a ton, so this isn’t a pick without risk. Montreal just scored five against Boston, too. But the Avalanche could be missing important offensive pieces, and the Canadiens have been getting strong goaltending. I also expect Colorado to be a little more careful defensively after letting the Ottawa game slip away. If both teams come out firing, this could turn into a 4-3 game pretty quickly. Still, I think the injuries and Montreal’s recent defensive work make the under worth considering at 6.5. I wouldn’t want it at 5.5.

Final Picks: Montreal Canadiens Moneyline and Under 6.5 Goals