The Colorado Avalanche welcome the desperate Vancouver Canucks to Ball Arena with both teams' playoff futures hanging in the balance—the red-hot Avs riding seven wins in their last ten while the Canucks must win to keep their wild card hopes alive.
Expect MacKinnon and Necas to test Lankinen's shaky .899 save percentage, while Boeser and Garland will need to crack Blackwood's impressive .916 wall if Vancouver stands any chance on Thursday night.
The contrast couldn't be starker: Colorado's explosive offense (3.34 goals per game) against Vancouver's struggling defense (which has surrendered a troubling 25 goals in their last six) makes this a fascinating matchup between the home team Avalanche and away team Canucks.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Vancouver Canucks prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Colorado Avalanche vs Vancouver Canucks matchup, our predictive model gives the Avs a 58% chance of defeating the Canucks.
Pre-game probabilities
Colorado Avalanche
Moneyline
Win %
58%
42%
Vancouver Canucks
Colorado Avalanche: 58% win probability
- Offensive firepower (268 goals scored this season, 4th highest in the Western Conference)
- Strong home ice advantage (48 wins in 79 games played shows consistent performance)
- Playoff-caliber performance (100 points puts them 4th in the Western Conference standings)
Vancouver Canucks: 42% win probability
- Defensive struggles (244 goals allowed, significantly more than top-performing teams)
- Road game challenges (10th place standing with 85 points suggests difficulties away from home)
- Inconsistent recent form (WLWLL pattern shows inability to string together consecutive wins)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts..
| Colorado Avalanche | Vancouver Canucks | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline |
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Colorado Avalanche vs. Vancouver Canucks preview
The Avalanche host the Canucks at Ball Arena with Colorado riding high on seven wins in their last ten games, while Vancouver desperately clings to fading playoff hopes.
Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas have been absolutely terrorizing defenses for Colorado, combining for a staggering 43 goals and 99 assists this season, but don't sleep on their blue line where Cale Makar and Devon Toews have added offensive firepower with 39 goals from the point.
The Canucks' top-heavy offense has sputtered to just 2.87 goals per game, with Conor Garland and Brock Boeser carrying too much of the load on a team where only seven skaters have hit double-digit goals.
Vancouver's coming off a thrilling 6-5 win against Dallas, but their defense has been a sieve lately, surrendering a concerning 25 goals in their last six games.
MacKenzie Blackwood has been a revelation in net for Colorado with a stellar .916 save percentage and nearly 14 goals saved above average, while Vancouver's goaltending has struggled.
I'd keep my eyes on Colorado's lethal power play (24.78%) against a Vancouver penalty kill that's been decent but will have its hands full with the Avs' talented lineup.
Look for this one to turn into a track meet with both offenses creating quality chances – Vancouver's desperation might keep it close early, but Colorado's depth should take over as the game progresses.
If you're a fan of goals, this matchup hitting the over seems like a solid bet, especially with Vancouver's recent defensive struggles and Colorado's knack for lighting the lamp at home.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Vancouver Canucks form
Colorado Avalanche vs. Vancouver Canucks head to head
Colorado Avalanche
67%
Vancouver Canucks
33%
Feb 5, 2025
Vancouver Canucks
3 : 0
Colorado Avalanche
Dec 17, 2024
Vancouver Canucks
3 : 1
Colorado Avalanche
Mar 14, 2024
Vancouver Canucks
3 : 4
Colorado Avalanche
Feb 21, 2024
Colorado Avalanche
3 : 1
Vancouver Canucks
Nov 23, 2023
Colorado Avalanche
5 : 2
Vancouver Canucks
Jan 21, 2023
Vancouver Canucks
1 : 4
Colorado Avalanche
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