COL@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL – Eleven thousand, two hundred and thirty-six days later, it’s finally happening again.

More than three decades after the final chapter of the Canadiens–Nordiques rivalry was written on April 26, 1995, the two franchises are set to share the ice once more as the Colorado Avalanche arrive as the Colorado Nordiques at the Bell Centre on Thursday.

The Nordiques will don their iconic powder blue jerseys with the Canadiens countering in their classic red home sweaters, setting the stage for an elite jersey matchup in La Belle Province.

Are we expecting a carbon copy of 1984 “Good Friday Massacre?” Likely not. But the echoes of that era will be hard to ignore. For one night, the building will buzz with the kind of old-time hockey energy that defined a generation.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:

GAME FACTS

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE

Lunar New Year Celebration

The Canadiens will mark the Year of the Horse by celebrating Lunar New Year early at the arena.

Here’s a look at what fans can expect inside and outside the Bell Centre:

• Red envelopes with gift cards from team partners—Pizza Pizza, Tim Hortons, Tricolore Sports, and Uber Eats—will be distributed to fans in Canadiens Plaza on a first-come, first-served basis;
• Lion dancers from the Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club will perform outdoors at 5:00 p.m., and entertain the crowd during first intermission;
• Anthem performances by Montreal-based artist Mulan;
• Musical performances by guest DJ Ken-j;
• An exclusive T-shirt featuring the Canadiens Lunar New Year logo will be available at Tricolore Sports, with 25% of profits benefiting the Chinese Family Service of Greater Montreal;
• Local Vietnamese restaurant Le Petit Sao will have a special kiosk in Marché M2 Montréal Loto-Québec as part of the Restaurant Spotlight powered by Interac;
• A free fortune cookie will be offered with every meal purchased at concessions in M2 Marché Montréal Loto-Québec, as well as in Bell Centre restaurants.

Throwback Thursday

A special pregame video highlighting the Battle of Quebec will be shown, and retro scoreboard graphics featuring the Nordiques logo will be used throughout the game.

Fans online can also test their Canadiens-Nordiques knowledge for a chance to win a souvenir warmup puck and Habs crewneck.

TEAM COMPARISONS

Montreal looked like itself again on Tuesday, delivering a strong effort against a true measuring-stick opponent in the Vegas Golden Knights. Jake Evans’ overtime winner put the exclamation point on a performance that, from the coaching staff’s perspective, checked a lot of the right boxes after a stretch where the Canadiens hadn’t quite been at their best. Thursday, however, presents an entirely different challenge. The undisputed top team in the League rolls into town, raising the bar yet again for Montreal’s final home game before the Olympic break.

As noted, Colorado has been the NHL’s gold standard this season, even if the shine has dulled slightly of late. The Avalanche-turned-Nordiques for tonight are just 4-4-2 over their last 10 games, a stretch that would qualify as a slump by their lofty standards. Still, recent form only tells part of the story. When you’re facing the League’s top team at both ends of the ice, the margin for error is razor thin. Colorado can flip the switch at any moment, which means a full 60 minutes of vigilance is non-negotiable for the Canadiens on Thursday.

SEASON SERIES

Nov. 29 @ COL: 7-2 COL

Jan. 29 vs. COL:

PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR

We’ll stick with Cole Caufield until he gives us reason not to. The Habs sniper enters Thursday’s matchup on a career-high six-game goal streak, fresh off reaching the 30-goal plateau in Tuesday’s win over the Knights.

On the Colorado side, the choice is obvious: Nathan MacKinnon. The numbers do the talking. Eighty-eight points, an NHL-leading 38 goals, and a plus-46 rating more than earn him top billing in this one.

BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-NORDIQUES

Here’s how the Nordiques and Canadiens match up by the numbers:

LINEUP NEWS

The Canadiens are scheduled for a morning skate at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. Subscribe to or follow the team on YouTube, Facebook and X (@CanadiensMTL) to catch St-Louis' press conference and player media availabilities around 11:00 a.m., and keep an eye on the Canadiens’ social accounts for any potential lineup news. For the full official lineup, check back on the team’s social accounts closer to puck drop.

EXCLUSIVE GAME DAY OFFER FROM KFC

New this season on game days, Montreal-area fans can enjoy KFC’s Famous Chicken Sandwich for just $5.95 at participating restaurants.

The offer is available in KFC restaurants, through self-serve kiosks, and mobile ordering via the KFC website or mobile application at participating locations in Montreal and surrounding areas, every game day.

Please note that this offer is not available through third-party delivery apps.