Montreal @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 14, 2018 ) Montreal 0, Colorado 2

The Montreal Canadiens fell flat in their bid to wrap up a perfect homestand and now will close out 2018 with a six-game road trip that sandwiches the NHL's Christmas break. The Canadiens had won five of six before they were blanked by Boston on Monday night and look to get back on track Wednesday at the Colorado Avalanche, who are also coming off a lopsided defeat.

Montreal was shut out for only the second time this season in a lackluster 4-0 loss to the Bruins, managing only 22 shots on goals. "There's no excuse for that. We're letting each other down," Canadiens captain Shea Weber said. "Guys have to look at each other in here and know that we all have to be better for each other." Colorado came out on the short end of a 4-1 decision at home to the New York Islanders on Monday and has surrendered 25 goals during its current 1-3-1 stretch. The home team has won the past five meetings in the series, including a pair of shutouts by the Avalanche in the past two matchups in the Mile High City.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, RDS (Montreal), Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (17-12-5): Montreal's power play remains a complete disaster, failing on all three chances against Boston to extend its drought to eight games -- a span in which the team has whiffed on 25 opportunities with the extra skater. "I just think we need to shoot the puck," goaltender Carey Price said. "When things go wrong, it just seems like a pretty simple recipe that everybody comes up with. Just get the puck towards the net and just jam it in." Price, who will make his second attempt at earning career victory No. 300, is 5-3-1 with a 2.88 goals-against average versus the Avalanche.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (18-10-6): Entering Tuesday, Colorado featured the league's top two scorers in Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon, who have 56 and 53 points, respectively, although Rantanen had his string of 14 consecutive games with a point halted. Semyon Varlamov permitted three goals on 17 shots in Monday's loss and has been victimized 21 times over his last five starts. To that end, Wednesday's start will go to backup Philipp Grubauer, who has a 7-2-3 mark despite a 3.22 goals-against average and .897 save percentage and has yielded seven goals in three appearances versus Montreal.

OVERTIME

1. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has five goals in his last four games to give him 22 on the season -- four shy of his career high.

2. Weber does not have a point on the power play in 10 games since rejoining the lineup.

3. Avalanche F Alexander Kerfoot is expected to play Wednesday after missing the previous four games.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Canadiens 3