St. Louis at Colorado

As good as the Avalanche are—and they are the best team in hockey—they are not going to go the rest of the season unbeaten. This is a dangerous spot for the Avalanche, playing at home on New Year's Eve against a Blues team that knows how to beat them. The Blues have underachieved all season. They are better than their 15-17-6-2 record. A monster upset victory here could jump-start St Louis, and the Blues know it. St. Louis has won three straight meetings against Colorado. They are 2-1 in their last three games in Denver. The Avalanche conclude 2025 having won eight consecutive games. So a letdown is a real possibility. Colorado has come tantalizingly close to losing in two of its last three games. The Avalanche came from behind to nip the Golden Knights, 6-5 in a shootout, and edged Utah, 1-0, at home. St. Louis is 3-2 in its last five road games with victories against the Panthers, Canadiens, and Senators. The Blues were underdogs in all three of those games. Take the Blues.