Canadiens Stun Avalanche as NHL Weekend Takes Shape
The Canadiens handed the Avalanche a rare regulation loss Thursday night, setting the tone for a weekend that shifts from a quiet Friday to a full NHL slate Saturday, including marquee matchups across Canada and the United States.
CALGARY — The Montreal Canadiens shocked the Colorado Avalanche Thursday night with a 7–3 win at the Bell Centre. That was Montreal’s 30th win of the season as they sit atop the wild-card standings in the Eastern Conference, and they handed Colorado just its eighth regulation loss of the season as the Avalanche continue on with their historically successful campaign.
Friday’s NHL schedule is unusually light, with only one other game across the league. The lone matchup has the Columbus Blue Jackets visiting the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center.
The Blue Jackets enter the night 7–3 in their last 10 games, though they remain 10 points outside of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, leaving significant ground to make up despite the recent surge.
Columbus is still adjusting under new head coach Rick Bowness, who was appointed Jan. 12 following the firing of Dean Evason. Bowness, 70, was brought in to provide structure, defensive improvement, and veteran leadership after previously coaching the Winnipeg Jets.
Chicago enters the weekend with a 21-24-9 record and sits eight points outside of a playoff position as it continues through a developmental season.
The league schedule ramps up Saturday with a full slate of 14 games. In Calgary, the Flames host the San Jose Sharks in a 2 p.m. MT matinee. The Flames are 21-26-6 on the season, tied at 48 points and sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Elsewhere Saturday, the Canadiens travel to Western New York for a marquee matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. National attention will also follow the Toronto Maple Leafs as they visit the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena, with live coverage across all Provectus Media platforms from Vancouver on Saturday.
Colorado continues its road swing with an early start Saturday morning, visiting the Detroit Red Wings with puck drop scheduled for 11 a.m. MT.
Flames shut out Sharks 2–0 behind Wolf’s 16-save gem as Skinner exits with injury
Dustin Wolf posted a 16-save shutout and Blake Coleman scored the winner as the Flames beat San Jose 2–0, while the Sharks lost Jeff Skinner to a lower-leg injury.
CALGARY — The Calgary Flames snapped their three-game losing streak and halted the San Jose Sharks’ momentum with a 2–0 win Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Goaltender Dustin Wolf posted his first shutout of the 2025-26 season by stopping all 16 shots he faced, standing tall as the difference in the contest. Calgary broke through when veteran Blake Coleman ripped a high shot at 5:46 of the second period after forcing a turnover. Rookie Sam Honzek sealed the win with an empty-net tally in the final seconds.
The night’s turning point came even before the score sheet filled. Sharks forward Jeff Skinner collided hard into the boards in the opening period and exited the game without putting any weight on his leg. A local physician at ice level told reporters the impact and Skinner’s reaction were consistent with a tibia or fibula fracture. At the time of the game, the Sharks had not released an official update.
Calgary dominated the shots early, outshooting San Jose 13-1 in the first period and 27-6 after two, but relied on disciplined defensive structure and timely plays to preserve the lead. Wolf remained sharp throughout, particularly when San Jose pulled the goaltender for an extra attacker late in the third.
With the result, the Flames improved to 5-12-2 and snapped a slide, while San Jose fell to 8-7-3 and will now await an update on one of their key forwards. Calgary now shifts its focus to converting strong starts into deeper momentum through the remainder of the season.