Colorado Avalanche vs Montréal Canadiens prediction: MacKinnon and Makar day-to-day as streaking Canadiens host Colorado

Colorado's stars in limbo

Colorado lost more than an overtime game in Ottawa on Thursday. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both left in the second period with lower-body injuries, and coach Jared Bednar said afterward he wasn't sure about either for Saturday. Both are listed as day-to-day on the league injury report updated Friday. The Avalanche didn't practice Friday and recalled Gavin Brindley from the Colorado Eagles, which suggests they are planning for at least one absence.

The stakes are obvious. MacKinnon leads the team with 30 points through 20 games, and Makar has 23 points in 19 games while logging the most ice time of any Avalanche skater. Colorado scores 4.05 goals per game, 2nd in the league, and that attack runs through those two. Defenseman Josh Manson is already on injured reserve with a left ankle injury.

Colorado still has scoring beyond its stars. Artturi Lehkonen, who played five seasons in Montreal, leads the team with 14 goals, and Martin Necas has 24 points. Lehkonen is converting 32.6% of his shots, a rate few players hold for long. The road has also been unkind: the Avalanche are 4-5-1 away from Denver.

The edge in net

Jacob Fowler is the probable starter for Montreal, and a lineup projection agrees, though the team hasn't confirmed it. He has earned the net with a .926 save percentage and a 2.13 goals-against average in 12 games. Jakub Dobes, the backup, sits at .847, so the gap between the two is wide. Samuel Montembeault remains on injured reserve.

Colorado's crease is less settled. Mackenzie Blackwood is the probable starter, while a Nov. 12 projection had Scott Wedgewood getting the start, so the answer may not come until warmups. Blackwood has a .901 save percentage over 15 games. Wedgewood has struggled at .863 in six. With Colorado's defense possibly missing Makar, the gap between those two goalies matters more than usual.

Fast starts, costly penalties

Montreal does its damage early. The Canadiens score 1.32 first-period goals per game, 1st in the NHL, and they led 2-0 after one period in three of their last five games. Colorado allows 1.0 first-period goals per game, 20th, and trailed 2-0 after the first in Ottawa.

The Canadiens' weakness is special teams. Their power play (goals per opportunity) converts just 13.8%, 30th in the league. They are also shorthanded 3.84 times per game, 30th. That hands chances to a Colorado power play that converts 23.9%, 11th, and draws 3.35 power plays per game, 9th. If Montreal can't stay out of the box, Colorado can make up for missing stars on the power play.

Montreal also has health questions. Chris Kreider is day-to-day with a left leg injury from Thursday's win in Boston. Ivan Demidov is on injured reserve with no update confirming a return. Mike Matheson was still expected to miss about another week as of Nov. 7.

Momentum and the market

The Canadiens are 9-0-3 during their 12-game point streak, capped by Thursday's 5-2 win in Boston that chased Jeremy Swayman. Martin St. Louis passed Pat Burns that night to become seventh all-time among Canadiens coaches. Saturday is also Montreal's annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night.

The market makes Montreal a -123 favorite, with Colorado at +105. The puck line has Montreal at -1.5, and the total sits at 6.5, unchanged since our feed first saw the game Friday. Both teams lean toward overs: Colorado has gone over in 14 of 20 games and Montreal in 12 of 19. Last season's meetings were both blowouts, a 7-2 Colorado win in Denver and a 7-3 Montreal win at the Bell Centre.

What to watch

• Whether MacKinnon and Makar take the pregame skate.
• Who leads Colorado out for warmups: Blackwood or Wedgewood.
• Montreal's first period, the Canadiens' strongest stretch.
• Canadiens penalties, and how many power plays Colorado gets.