Colorado Falters in 7-3 Defeat to Montreal

Casey Halston

Published: January 30, 2026 7:43 PM ET

Colorado Falters in 7-3 Defeat to Montreal

In a disappointing outcome, the Colorado Avalanche faced a 7-3 defeat against the Montreal Canadiens. This loss marks their third game in January where they have been outscored 7-3.

Game Overview

The match began poorly for Colorado, with Montreal scoring just under a minute into the first period. Noah Dobson took advantage of a defensive miscommunication off a face-off to put the Canadiens ahead. Colorado quickly answered with Brock Nelson tying the game, but the Canadiens regained the lead shortly after with a power-play goal from Nick Suzuki.

The first period featured more struggles for Colorado. They allowed a shorthanded goal to Suzuki, bringing their total this season to nine shorthanded goals against, the highest in the NHL. This highlighted major issues with Colorado’s power-play effectiveness.

Second Period Struggles

During the second period, a mistake by goaltender Scott Wedgewood led to an easy goal for Jake Evans, extending Montreal’s lead to 4-1. Kirby Dach’s goal, resulting from a fortuitous bounce off a teammate, further solidified Montreal’s dominance.

Joel Kiviranta briefly stopped the scoring streak for Colorado, with a goal that made it 5-2. Hope emerged again when Ross Colton scored early in the third period, cutting the deficit to 5-3.

Final Quarter

However, Alexandre Carrier quickly restored Montreal’s lead to 6-3 with a goal from a 2-on-1 break. A further defensive lapse allowed Juraj Slafkovsky to score into an empty net, sealing the final score at 7-3.

Looking Ahead

This game reflected ongoing challenges for Colorado, with numerous errors in passing and defense. They look to reclaim their confidence in the final three games before the NHL Olympic break, starting with a match against the Detroit Red Wings on January 31. Puck drop is scheduled for 11 a.m. MT and will be broadcast on ABC.