Avalanche Stumble in Montreal, Fall 7-3 to Canadiens
The Colorado Avalanche ran into a buzzsaw Thursday night at Centre Bell, dropping a 7-3 decision to the Montreal Canadiens in a game that got away early and never really came back within reach.
Let’s break it down.
A Rough Start That Snowballed
It took less than a minute for Montreal to get on the board. Noah Dobson wasted no time, ripping a one-timer from the left circle just 56 seconds into the game. That early strike set the tone for a Canadiens team that came out flying.
Colorado answered quickly, though. Brock Nelson, who’s been a steady offensive presence all season, tied things up at 4:09 with his 28th goal of the year. It was a beauty - a toe-drag wrister from the high slot off the rush that left fans and defenders equally stunned.
But that was as close as the Avalanche would get.
Montreal responded almost immediately. Nick Suzuki converted on the power play at 5:51, finishing from close range to put the Canadiens back in front.
Then, just under two minutes later, Suzuki struck again - this time shorthanded. He picked off a puck in the neutral zone and went in alone, finishing a breakaway to make it 3-1 before the first period was even halfway over.
Second Period Slippage
Colorado tried to settle in during the second, but Montreal kept the pressure coming. Jake Evans made it 4-1 late in the period with a wraparound that caught the Avalanche defense napping. Less than a minute later, Kirby Dach followed suit with another wraparound, pushing the lead to 5-1.
Joel Kiviranta gave the Avalanche a bit of life with a goal at 18:06 of the second - his second of the season - snapping one home from the left circle to cut the deficit to 5-2. It was a much-needed response, but the mountain remained steep.
A Flicker of Hope, Quickly Extinguished
Ross Colton gave Colorado a spark early in the third, scoring his sixth of the season off a slick feed from Valeri Nichushkin at 4:38 to make it 5-3. For a moment, it looked like the Avalanche might be mounting a comeback.
But Montreal slammed the door shut.
Alexandre Carrier restored the three-goal cushion just over a minute later, finishing from the left doorstep. Then, at 9:55, Juraj Slafkovsky added the exclamation point with a goal from the right side of the crease to make it 7-3.
What’s Next
It was a tough outing for Colorado, who struggled to contain Montreal’s speed and pressure throughout the night. Defensive breakdowns and special teams miscues proved costly, and while the Avalanche did find the net three times, they never quite found their rhythm.
Now, they’ll look to regroup quickly as they wrap up their road trip with a visit to Detroit to face the Red Wings on Saturday. Puck drops on ABC and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.
After a night like this, expect a sharper, more locked-in Avalanche team in Motown.