The Colorado Avalanche (42-25-3) travel to face off against the Montreal Canadiens (33-28-8) on Saturday, March 22nd. This game will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal and televised on ESPN+. Both the Avalanche and Canadiens will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Avalanche vs Canadiens

The Colorado Avalanche Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 5-2 loss to the Predators, the Avalanche’s record dropped to 42-25-3. Colorado was favored on the puck line, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the second period, but the Predators responded with five unanswered goals. Two of Nashville’s goals came with the Avalanche’s net empty.

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Following a 3-1 loss to the Penguins, the Canadiens are now 33-28-8 this season. Montreal entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, with the total set at 6.5 goals. The combined 4 goals fell short of that mark.

The Canadiens trailed 2-0 before Christian Dvorak scored at 14:28 in the third period. Pittsburgh added an empty-net goal at 19:15 to seal the win.

Colorado Offense Breakdown

In their 5-2 loss to Nashville, the Avalanche took 30 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 6th goal of the season, while Cale Makar added his 5th, which came on a power play. MacKinnon also picked up his 14th assist, and Makar now has 16 assists this year.

Colorado failed to score in the first period, with Makar’s goal coming 2:54 into the second. MacKinnon added the team’s second goal with 2:17 left in the game. The Avalanche had 23 giveaways in the loss.

Canadiens Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense struggled in their 3-1 loss to the Penguins, managing just one goal from Christian Dvorak, his first of the season. The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were held scoreless until the third period, when Dvorak found the net at 14:28.

Juraj Slafkovsky picked up his 7th assist on Dvorak’s goal, while Emil Heineman earned his 1st assist of the year. The Canadiens had 20 giveaways in the game.

Colorado Team Defense

Defensively, Colorado gave up five goals to the Predators, including three in the third period. The Avalanche had taken a 1-0 lead at 17:06 in the second period, but Nashville responded with two goals before the end of the period and added three more in the third. Justus Annunen made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%. The Avalanche also recorded 11 takeaways and 26 hits.

Montreal Team Defense

Defensively, the Canadiens gave up the first two goals of the game—one at 15:57 in the first period and another at 18:40 in the second. They also allowed an empty-netter with 45 seconds left in the third. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Avalanche vs Canadiens Trends

• Across the Avalanche last five road games, the team averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 2-3, while going 2-3 straight-up.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Montreal has an puck line record of 4-6 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Canadiens have gone 10-0 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.
• Although the Avalanche have a strong straight up record in their last three games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the puck line going 1-2.

Avalanche vs Canadiens Prediction

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Canadiens to come out with a win against the Avalanche while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at +155, I’m placing my bet on the Canadiens to win outright.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Canadiens winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Canadiens straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.