Avalanche Dominate Canadiens with Offensive Onslaught in Denver
The Montreal Canadiens rolled into Ball Arena riding a wave of momentum-two solid wins in their back pocket and a chance to cap off a grueling three-games-in-four-days stretch with a statement against the league’s top team. But the Colorado Avalanche had other plans. And they made them loud and clear.
From the opening puck drop, Montreal came out with energy. The first eight minutes of the game saw the Canadiens generate four high-danger chances, including a blistering one-timer from Zach Bolduc that forced Mackenzie Blackwood into a highlight-reel sliding save.
Oliver Kapanen followed that up with a pair of quality looks, but again, Blackwood stood tall. Those early missed opportunities would loom large as the Avalanche found their footing.
Just past the halfway mark of the first period, Brock Nelson broke the ice for Colorado with a laser that beat Jakub Dobes clean. The Avalanche struck again minutes later, with Gabriel Landeskog crashing the crease and creating chaos that led to another goal.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis challenged for goalie interference, arguing Landeskog had disrupted Dobes’ ability to make the save-but the call stood.
Montreal was forced to kill off a penalty for the failed challenge, and the Avalanche smelled blood.
Second-Period Avalanche-Literally
The second period was a full-on Colorado avalanche. Less than a minute in, Nelson won a clean faceoff and Brent Burns wasted no time, snapping one past Dobes to stretch the lead to 3-0.
The pressure didn’t let up. Just minutes later, Nelson broke in on a clean breakaway but missed wide.
No matter-Martin Necas scooped up the rebound, made a slick pass back to Nelson on the doorstep, and the veteran forward buried it for his second of the game.
Montreal finally found a pulse midway through the frame. Ivan Demidov, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable night, found the back of the net to make it 4-1. But any hopes of a comeback were short-lived.
Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon-two names that have haunted plenty of opposing teams-teamed up once again. MacKinnon cleaned up a rebound to make it 5-1 heading into the third, and at that point, the Canadiens were simply trying to stop the bleeding.
Closing Time in Colorado
The third period was more of the same. Devon Toews jumped into the play and added another goal, while Landeskog cashed in again to cap off a dominant night. Lane Hutson managed to get one back for Montreal with a power-play one-timer, but it was far too little, far too late.
The final: 7-2, Avalanche.
Nelson led the charge with a four-point night, while Landeskog, Necas, and MacKinnon each tallied three points apiece. Blackwood, who set the tone early with those key first-period saves, finished with 21 stops on 23 shots. On the other end, Dobes had another rough outing-allowing seven goals on 36 shots and struggling to track the puck in traffic.
Looking Ahead
For the Canadiens, there’s no time to dwell. They’ll try to regroup quickly as they return home to face the Ottawa Senators on December 2. After a taxing road trip and a tough loss, that game becomes a crucial test of resilience.
As for the Avalanche, this is what the league’s best team looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders. The depth, the speed, the finishing-it’s all there. And with Vancouver coming to town next, Colorado will look to keep the pressure on and continue setting the pace for the rest of the NHL.