Early look · NHL 2026-27

Colorado Avalanche at St. Louis Blues: game preview

ColoradoAvalanche2026-27: 2-0-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 55-16-11 · 121 pts · 1stat

St. LouisBlues2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 37-33-12 · 86 pts · 22nd

Puck drop28 Jan · 8:00 PM ET

VenueEnterprise Center

All-time meetings147 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Thirty-five points apart last season

Colorado finished last season 1st in the league on 121 points. St. Louis finished 22nd on 86, and the 2025-26 season series went COL 2-1-0.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 148

Across 147 completed games, Colorado lead the head-to-head 82-51-13.

All-time record82-51-13Colorado's record in the series

Meetings played147This is number 148

2025-26 seriesCOL 2-1-0

Last 53-2Colorado

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

3 OctSTL 1 – COL 626–36STL 0/2 · COL 0/4COL

7 Apr 2026COL 3 – STL 137–19COL 0/1 · STL 0/3COL

5 Apr 2026STL 3 – COL 229–28STL 0/4 · COL 0/3STL

31 Dec 2025STL 1 – COL 613–43STL 0/3 · COL 1/3COL

5 Apr 2025COL 4 – STL 539–22COL 0/3 · STL 2/3STL

Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateColoradoSt. Louis

31 Dec 202530-2-7 · 67 pts1st15-18-8 · 38 pts29th

5 Apr 202650-16-10 · 110 pts1st33-31-12 · 78 pts24th

7 Apr 202651-16-10 · 112 pts1st33-32-12 · 78 pts25th

3 Oct2-0-0 · 4 pts2nd1-1-0 · 2 pts20th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 31 Dec 2025, Colorado were 1st in the league and St. Louis 29th. By 3 Oct it was 2nd and 20th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Colorado out-attempted St. Louis 353 to 237

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Colorado Avalanche

353 att · 183 on goal · 21 G · 11.5%

Crease23 att · 5 G

Slot127 att · 9 G

Wing100 att · 5 G

Point95 att · 2 G

Neutral zone8 att · 0 G

St. Louis Blues

237 att · 109 on goal · 11 G · 10.1%

Crease24 att · 3 G

Slot85 att · 5 G

Wing95 att · 2 G

Point25 att · 0 G

Neutral zone8 att · 1 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Colorado have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

ColoradoSt. Louis

3.16xG for per game2.69

2.55xG against per game3.33

55.4%xG share44.7%

+7.7FinishingGoals minus expected goals−1.1

+0.1GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−0.0

This season: 2 games for Colorado, 3 for St. Louis. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Colorado

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2744.4%

Power play · 2025-2617.1% · 27th

Power play · last 5 meetings1/14 · 7.1%

Penalty kill · 2026-27100.0%

Penalty kill · 2025-2684.6% · 1st

Faceoffs · 2026-2746.8% · 58/124

Drawn · 2026-279 (4.50/gm)

Drawn · last meetings14 (2.80/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-276 (3.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings1

St. Louis

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2712.5%

Power play · 2025-2617.6% · 26th

Power play · last 5 meetings2/15 · 13.3%

Penalty kill · 2026-2790.0%

Penalty kill · 2025-2676.7% · 25th

Faceoffs · 2026-2744.6% · 83/186

Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)

Drawn · last meetings15 (3.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2710 (3.33/gm)

PP goals · last meetings2

Skaters

Nathan MacKinnon has 9 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

29Nathan MacKinnon536923

18Robert Thomas55387

43Valeri Nichushkin350518

88Martin Necas432517

11Brock Nelson51455

21Jimmy Snuggerud505512

42Josh Manson413410

62Artturi Lehkonen51347

70Sam Malinski512312

84Brent Burns412311

Head-to-head finder

Nathan MacKinnon vs St. Louis · game by game

See all: Nathan MacKinnon vs St. Louis · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

3 Octhome033418:16

7 Apr 2026away011021:08

5 Apr 2026home000521:38

31 Dec 2025home224717:12

5 Apr 2025away101725:29

Last 5 meetings9 P3 G, 6 A · 23 SOG

Next best8 PRobert Thomas, STL

2026-27 season5 P2 GP · 2 G

Blank vs STL1 of 5

Full game log

Goaltending

Jordan Binnington has been the difference

Jordan Binnington faced 118 shots across 3 appearances against Colorado and conceded 16, a .864 save percentage against a season figure of .833. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Colorado

Expected starter after their game on 26 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

St. Louis

Expected starter after their game on 26 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Mackenzie Blackwood

See all: Mackenzie Blackwood →

COL · 2-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 25 Jan

SV% · 2026-27.9122 GP · 2.50 GAA · 2025-26 .904

vs St. Louis.8994 app · 89 SA · 9 GA

GSAx · 2026-27+0.12 starts · most on the roster

vs STLVenueSAGASV%

3 Octhome261.962

5 Apr 2026home293.897

31 Dec 2025home131.923

5 Apr 2025away214.810

Full game log

Jordan Binnington

See all: Jordan Binnington →

STL · 0-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 25 Jan

SV% · 2026-27.8331 GP · 6.00 GAA · 2025-26 .873

vs Colorado.8643 app · 118 SA · 16 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−2.51 start

vs COLVenueSAGASV%

3 Octaway366.833

31 Dec 2025away436.860

5 Apr 2025home394.897

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Joel Hofer .955 (2 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

3 Oct7 · STL 1–6 COL

7 Apr 20264 · COL 3–1 STL

5 Apr 20265 · STL 3–2 COL

31 Dec 20257 · STL 1–6 COL

5 Apr 20259 · COL 4–5 STL

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Colorado7.002.503.682.48

St. Louis2.333.332.823.15

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.2Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.4Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

8 on the injury lists

Colorado · injuries

Georgii MerkulovUndisclosedIRReturn16 Oct

Logan O'ConnorLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct

Trent MinerUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Zachary L'HeureuxLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct

St. Louis · injuries

Alexey ToropchenkoUpper BodyIRReturn14 Nov

Felix TrudeauUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Logan MaillouxHandIRReturn25 Nov

Tyler TuckerKneeIRReturn12 Nov

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

27 Sep · COL

Placed LD Keaton Middleton, LD Wyatt Aamodt, RW/LW Fabian Lysell, C Vinnie Hinostroza, LW Adam Beckman and LW Tristen Nielsen on waivers.

27 Sep · COL

Placed D Keaton Middleton, D Wyatt Aamodt, LW Fabian Lysell, C Vinnie Hinostroza, LW Adam Beckman and G Mads Sogaard Nielsen on waivers.

25 Sep · COL

Reassigned Ds Domenick Fensore, Saige Weinstein and Christian Wolanin to Colorado (AHL).

5 Oct · STL

Placed LW Alexey Toropchenko on injured reserve.

27 Sep · STL

Placed G Georgii Romanov and D Calle Rosen on waivers. Claimed RD Justin Barron off waivers.

19 Sep · STL

Placed D Marc Andre Gaudet was placed on waivers.

Injury report

Colorado · 2026 draft

See all: Colorado · 2026 draft →

#43Egor ShilovRound 2 · VictoriavilleC

#74Beckett HamiltonRound 3 · Red DeerC

#126Tobias TvrznikRound 4 · WenatcheeG

#128Axel ElofssonRound 4 · Orebro Jr.D

Full draft

St. Louis · 2026 draft

See all: St. Louis · 2026 draft →

#11Tynan LawrenceRound 1 · Boston UniversityC

#16Maddox DagenaisRound 1 · QuebecC

#75Luke SchairerRound 3 · Usa U-18D

#107Landon NyczRound 4 · UmassD

Full draft

Thursday 28 January · the full slate

See all: Thursday 28 January · the full slate →

STLThis game 8:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Colorado Avalanche at St. Louis Blues: game preview

Thirty-five points apart last season

Meeting number 148

Last 5 meetings

The table on each meeting night

Colorado out-attempted St. Louis 353 to 237

Colorado Avalanche

St. Louis Blues

Colorado have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Colorado

St. Louis

Nathan MacKinnon has 9 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Nathan MacKinnon vs St. Louis · game by game

Jordan Binnington has been the difference

Mackenzie Blackwood

Jordan Binnington

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

8 on the injury lists

Colorado · injuries

St. Louis · injuries

Latest moves

Colorado · 2026 draft

St. Louis · 2026 draft

Thursday 28 January · the full slate