The Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings will battle it out in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It will be the first time that the two have met in the playoffs, which were in 2001 and 2002. Both years they went to seven games, and the Avs eliminated the Kings. This season, Colorado holds a 3–0–0 record against Los Angeles. They may be bitter playoff rivals from a long time ago, but the Avs rule the NHL now.

Colorado Avalanche

It has been quite a year for the Avalanche. Leading the NHL standings since November 1st, they’ve continued their dominance. Colorado won an amazing 29 games on the road, tying their record from 2022–23. They also accumulated 119 points, again tying the record set by the team from 2022–23. Colorado ended the season with a 55–16–11 record, setting a new franchise record with 121 points. 

Where the Avalanche set the standard, this season was their even-strength play. Colorado had difficulty with its power play, so it increased its even-strength intensity. They scored 216 even-strength goals while only allowing 128. A difference of 88 goals, which outpaces the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 59, and this is without power-play goals included. This season’s downfall for the Avalanche stemmed from their power play. They sat at the bottom of the NHL standings for most of the season, ending at 17.4 percent. March was the month that propelled their numbers up. Nazem Kadri’s trade back to the Avs energized the top unit, making them one of the top power-plays in March.

Avalanche milestones

The biggest milestone was the return of the Avalanche’s captain, Gabriel Landeskog. He missed three long years to return during the playoffs last season. Landeskog has been a difference-maker this season, playing in 60 games with 14 goals and 21 assists.

Nathan MacKinnon has played all but one game for the Avalanche, only sitting out after the Olympics. His offensive drive for the team leads the Avalanche in points (127) and helped him win the Rocket Richard Trophy for the first time. His 52 goals also set a new career high, surpassing his 51 goals set in 2023–24.

Martin Necas surpassed 100 points for the first time in his career on Tuesday night. Proving the Avalanche have won the trade this year for Mikko Rantanen.

Avalanche depth

Depth for the Avalanche will not be an issue. With veterans like Kadri, Nic Roy, Logan O’Connor, and Brock Nelson among the forward group. The problem will be where to put them all. For once, the Avalanche have too many depth forwards to work with. Defense is where things look a little shaky. Colorado has six defensemen that they can really depend on; beyond that, it’s a problem.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings have been odd ones to figure out this year. They squeaked into the Wild Card spot in a tight Pacific Division race. Los Angeles has the third-least amount of regulation wins in the NHL, above the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks. They have used overtime losses to help propel them up the standings in the Western Conference all season long. They ended the season with a 35–27–20 record and 90 points.

As a team, the Kings have had to do the same as the Avalanche: depend on their even-strength game. They are ranked 25th in the NHL at even-strength goals, scoring 151 but allowing 139. Los Angeles’ power-play is not any better than Colorado’s, sitting at 17.1 percent. To top that off, their penalty kill is one of the worst in the league at 74.7 percent.

Kings milestones

The major story of the year for the Kings has also been their beloved captain, Anže Kopitar. He will be retiring after 20 seasons in the NHL, having played 1,521 games. The Slovak owns almost every scoring for the Kings during the regular season, putting up 1,316 career points (452g/864a). Kopitar has led the team as captain since the 2016–17 season.

Adrian Kempe will be the man to watch on the offensive side of the puck for the Kings. The Swede has 36 goals and 37 assists for 73 points, which leads the team. He sits 10th in franchise history with 35 multi-goal games. Kempe is one of the few players in the NHL who put up at least a goal and an assist in four consecutive road games. Being on the road does not bother him one bit.

Young forward Quinton Byfield will also be a threat among their skaters. His 24 goals set a new career high and also gave him second place on the team in points

Former Avalanche Darcy Kuemper will be the biggest hurdle for the Avalanche to jump over. Although he did not put up stellar numbers, winning only 19 games this season, he always plays well against his former team.

Kings depth

The Kings’ depth is a mix of veteran and young talent. Veterans like Drew Doughty, Joel Edmundson and Cody Ceci lead their defensive core with plenty of playoff experience. Artemi Panarin and Corey Perry lead young talents like Alex Laferriere and Brandt Clarke. Trevor Moore (teammate of Logan O’Connor) and Jared Wright will well represent Denver University.

Will this series be “a waste of eight days,” or will they battle it out for over four games? The Kings have a legacy to fight for with Kopitar, and the Avalanche have said it is Stanley Cup or bust this season. It will be a great series to watch, and there will be plenty of action for everyone!