The Colorado Avalanche have a chance to take a firm grasp on their first-round series against the team from the city of fallen angels.
Some would argue the Kings have been surprisingly good so far this series, but tonight they hope to walk away with something to show for their efforts.
The Avalanche won both games at home, but it took some doing, and the victories came on contributions from (mainly) the depth pieces of their lineup.
Taking this series on the road 🛣️ pic.twitter.com/Y5tAPwVzfY
Is tonight the night the Avalanche stunts their star power, or will the LA Kings make good on an upset where the ocean meets the sand?
A lot has been made of the Avalanche “playing the Kings game” in games one and two, but it should come as no surprise that this Avalanche team is committed to stout support and defensive structure.
The Avalanche is perfectly fine with playing low-scoring, tight-checking games. Nathan MacKinnon said so much after the game one victory, stating, “We pride ourselves on our defensive ability. I know that might surprise some people.”
Nonetheless, it’s possible to stay committed defensively and achieve more goals.
Cale Makar leads the way in expected goals per 60 minutes among all defenders in the playoffs. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/hTUHJX5yVD
— Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) April 23, 2026
The sit-back-and-wait approach only works against the Avalanche when they don’t have a lead, especially in a game where LA should be more desperate than in games one and two.
Martin Necas’ pass to Gabe Landeskog on Colorado’s tying goal in game two was a thing of beauty, but I want him to log a minimum of 3 SOG in the first period.
He has turned down too many great looks, given his shooting ability.
The Avalanche have a large share of the expected goals in this series, and that advantage is amplified in 5-on-5 situations.
LA has two goals in the series, both from Artemi Panarin and both on the power play.
Stay out of the box, and LA might stay off the scoresheet.
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin NecasParker Kelly — Brock Nelson — Valeri NichushkinGabriel Landeskog — Nazem Kadri — Nicolas RoyJoel Kiviranta — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor
Devon Toews — Cale MakarBrent Burns — Josh MansonBrett Kulak — Sam Malinski
Note: We still haven’t seen Ross Colton, and given the unbeaten streak, I doubt we do tonight unless someone got banged up beyond our knowledge.
Apparently, LA should be happy with the first two games of the series despite not winning either.