The set-up: The Colorado Avalanche have put last year's 'nightmare' season behind them (22 wins, with their 48 points being 21 fewer than any other NHL team), as they will host the Montreal Canadiens tonight, looking for their 10th consecutive win at Pepsi Center. The Avs are 30-21-4 on the season and with 64 points, are just four points out of the West's final playoff spot (plenty of competition, though). Meanwhile, the Candiens have followed up a 103-point 2016-17 season (won Atlantic Division) with a 22-26-7 record so far this year, leaving them 14th of 16 teams in the East and not just 12 points out of the final playoff spot but with five teams to leap-frog before reaching that final berth (basically, no chance!).
Montreal: The Canadiens begin a four-game road trip and tonight will mark the one-year anniversary behind Montreal's bench for coach Claude Julien, who said he's "more concerned right now with turning our good performances into wins." Phillip Danault practiced Monday for the first time since taking a slap shot off the head on Jan. 13, and while he has yet to be cleared from his concussion, he's accompanying the team on the road trip. "Brendan Gallagher has scored four times in his last eight games and owns a team-high 20 goals. His 32 points are one-shy of team-leader Max Pacioretty. Noting those point totals, it should be no surprise that Montreal is not a high-scoring team (2.58 GPG ranks 29th). Montreal's shrinking playoff possibilities means the team will likely be a seller before the Feb. 26 trading deadline.

Colorado: Leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon (24 goals / 61 points) has been sidelined for the last six games due to the shoulder injury he suffered on Jan. 30 but practiced with the team Tuesday for the first time since getting hurt. Head coach Jared Bednar termed the team's 3-3-0 record without MacKinnon as being "pretty good. He told reporters. "The problem with it is, it's not good enough. We're losing ground every day in the playoff race." The Avalanche are also without forwards Sven Andrighetto (leg), Blake Comeau (lower-body injury) and defenseman Mark Barberio (lower body).
The pick: Colorado goes for its 10th straight home win here and Montreal has struggled on the road all season with an 8-16-1 mark away from home. However, is it ironic that the Avs go for a 10th straight home win against the Canadiens, who snapped the Avalanche's 10-game overall winning streak with a 4-2 triumph in Montreal back on Jan. 23? Methinks so. Make Montreal an 8* play.