The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks will meet in NHL action on Wednesday night in Denver. The Avs come into this game with the best record in the NHL and they will try to pick up another win over a Sharks team that is still in the mix for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. With both teams still having plenty to play for, this should be an interesting matchup, and you can find my Sharks vs Avalanche prediction below.
Our Sharks vs Avalanche Pick
Pick: Sharks +1.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
Matchup: San Jose Sharks vs Colorado Avalanche
Date & Time: Thursday, February 5, 2026, 9:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Elite home form: Colorado’s home record sits among the league’s best, fueled by a goals-for clip near 3.8 per game and goals-against near 2.4. That combination has translated to frequent multi-goal victories at Ball Arena. But the Avs have dropped three of their last four games overall and will try to bounce back from that here.
Rising star in teal: Macklin Celebrini leads San Jose in points and has come up with a string of multi-point nights, giving the Sharks a bona fide game-breaker at center.
MacKinnon’s pace: Nathan MacKinnon is over 80 points already and drives a top line that tilts the ice in Colorado's favor and generates high-danger chances off the rush and with extended zone time.
Recent meetings: The teams split their earlier meetings, with San Jose winning in overtime in early November before Colorado answered with a 6-0 win on November 26 in Denver.
Recent form
Avalanche: Bounced back from a brief wobble with a 5-0 win at Detroit, then returned home for a 2-0 loss to those same Red Wings.
Sharks: A spirited 5-2 win in Vancouver featured a four-point outing by Celebrini. But the Sharks have dropped three straight games since then.
Goaltending
Colorado: Mackenzie Blackwood’s recent shutout and steady form give Colorado a clear path in net. Blackwood has won in just under three-quarters of his starts this season for the Avs.
San Jose: Prospect Yaroslav Askarov has collected wins but remains high variance as he adjusts to nightly NHL volume. He is expected to get the start here in one of the biggest tests of his young career.
Key skaters
Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon sits near 90 points to lead the Avs. Cale Makar continues to produce exits, entries, and a shooting lane diet that fuels secondary offense. Martin Necas has fit well, adding zone entries and east-west distribution of the puck.
Sharks: Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks with 80-plus points and strong playmaking numbers. Tyler Toffoli remains San Jose’s primary finisher behind Celebrini, while William Eklund’s playmaking has lifted the top six.
Betting Trends & H2H
These teams are 1-1 against each other this season.
The home team is 2-0 in previous matchups between the Sharks and Avs this season.
Colorado is 20-3-4 at home so far this season.
The Sharks are 13-14-1 on the road this year.
Sharks vs Avalanche Model Projection
Score Projection: Sharks 3 – Avalanche 4
Win Probability: Sharks 29%, Avalanche 71%
Final Thoughts
Colorado’s firepower at home, MacKinnon’s MVP-level run, and a healthy Blackwood tip this game to the hosts. San Jose’s improved top six can punch back, though, and I think that the Sharks will keep this contest within a goal. I'll take the underdogs on the puckline in this one, in what should be an exciting game until the bitter end.
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