We usually do a phase-by-phase preview, but since we had to wait till game 82 to figure out Colorado’s first-round matchup, we decided to do all three phases of this glorious game and matchup in one fell swoop.
For starters, this matchup definitely has David vs. Goliath vibes, but LA looks like a better team (on paper) than its regular-season result suggests.
We’ve seen eight Presidents’ Trophy-winning teams be eliminated in the first round dating all the way back to 1991, but should the Avalanche
and their fans be worried this time around?
The Avalanche swept the season series (3-0) with MacKenzie Blackwood securing two of the three victories, with Scott Wedgewood having one.
Let’s take a deeper look and see what may be cause for concern, or ammo for confidence in round one!
Forwards
The Colorado Avalanche might not have “five, six, seven of the best players in the world,” as LA Kings head coach DJ Smith put it, but I’d wager they have three in Nathan MacKinnon, Marty Necas, and Cale Makar.
The first two listed should give the Colorado Avalanche a decided advantage, although the Kings do have some top-end talent to be aware of.
It’s Anze Kopitar’s last ride, so he and his talent represent a bit of a wild card in this series. Artemis Panarin, or “the bread-man,” is also among the more skilled players in the league.
The overall theme of this group is a capable top line, with some grit and pesky vibes from the rest of the group. LA’s second line is decent, but up against Colorado’s, they may be in over their head.
Be prepared to be frustrated by Joel Armia and Scott Laughton’s physicality and tendency to toe the line of what’s allowed in the playoffs.
Speaking of, I imagine the approach will be to be as close to that line as possible, all series as an attempt to slow Colorado’s transition and attack.
It’s a strategy that’s worked in the past, but you have to have the horses to pull it off.
Kings Projected Forwards:
Artemi Panarin — Anze Kopitar — Adrian Kempe|
Trevor Moore — Quinton Byfield — Alex Laferriere
Joel Armia — Scott Laughton — Jared Wright
Mathieu Joseph — Samuel Helenius — Taylor Ward
Avalanche Projected Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton — Nazem Kadri — Nicholas Roy
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor
When you put the two forward groups up next to each other, a couple of things stand out.
My first takeaway is that this healthy version of the Avalanche is super deep, boasts elite talent, and offers plenty of options.
I have no issue with starting with Landeskog on the second line with Nelson and Nichushkin, as he was a great playoff performer last season, even without a full training camp and with limited confidence. This time around, he’s got the legs of a seasoned player again, and every playoff game is one more than most thought Landy would get.
If you do want to inject more scoring into the top six, you can easily swap Kadri, Roy, or Colton with any of the three ahead of them to mix things up.
I’d imagine we see these lines take a different shape when contextualized by each game’s flow.
Colorado’s bottom six could prove the competitive advantage in this one, as the big guns can’t always go, and the Avalanche have plenty of talent on lines three and four.
In fact, the third line of Kelly, Kadri, and Roy has combined for 45 goals this season.
Defenders
The real question with a defensive comparison is how each side will hold up (match-up-wise) against their opposition’s top forwards?
Can Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty hold up against one of the fastest and best lines in hockey in Colorado’s top group?
Will Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci be sheltered effectively, avoid being matched up against Colorado’s top skill, and hold up against the Avalanche’s bottom six I described earlier?
If they try to play a shutdown style, expect a muddy neutral zone and a lot of chip and chase from both sides.
That approach is a slippery slope against a team like the Avalanche, which can establish an early lead and never look back.
I should also mention that Brandt Clarke is bound to be at the top of the list of players Avs fans grow tired of.
Projected Kings Defenders:
Mikey Anderson — Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson — Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin — Cody Ceci
Projected Avalanche Defenders:
Brett Kulak — Cale Makar
Devon Toews — Sam Malinski
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
The Avalanche have mixed and matched this D core over the last month or so, and while Cale Makar was on the mend, we saw the re-emergence of Devon Toews offensive touch, and the arrival of Sam Malinski’s as well.
Malinski has as many goals since March 24, 2026, as he had in all of his 2024-25 campaign with the Avalanche.
Brent Burns is looking at his best chance to hoist since his time in San Jose with this Avalanche team, so expect his best and brightest.
Josh Manson didn’t play to end the season, so let’s keep an eye on how he looks early in this series.
Brett Kulak will face the Kings in the first round for the third consecutive postseason, and pairing him up with Cale seems smart considering how calm and cool Kulak is.
He can stay home while Cale struts his stuff.
Goaltenders
Interestingly enough, both LA and Colorado will start goalies who have been regarded as back-ups for most of their careers.
There’s no doubt who the fans want between the pipes for Colorado: Scott Wedgewood, who leads the league in SV% (.921) and GAA (2.02) and ranks 4th in wins this season.
Colorado can go with a tandem approach and potentially start Blackwood in game two, but if Wedgewood shows out and bails his team out with a game one win, largely in part to his performance, the Avalanche will ride the hot hand.
It looks like Anton Forsberg will get the net to start things for LA.
Forsberg coincidentally was one of Jared Bednar’s netminders during his time as a head coach and Calder Cup winner with the Lake Erie Monsters (now Cleveland Monsters).
If things don’t go well for Anton, Darcy Kuemper is waiting in the wings.
I don’t think I need to talk Avalanche fans into respecting Darcy Kuemper.
We know more than most how good Darcy can be when he’s really on his game.
It’s 1A/1A vs. 1A/1B as I see it.
Shocker: Advantage Avalanche
I’m not exactly going out on a limb here, but the Colorado Avalanche have an advantage on all three fronts of this first-round matchup with the LA Kings.
Rocket Richard, Hart Stanley Cup winning pedigree, the likes of Nathan MacKinnon don’t exactly grow on trees, and it also hardly goes unnoticed. Advantage Avalanche in the forward group because they have the best forward in the world, and he likely wants to get right after the Olympics.
Yeah, I haven’t forgotten, and I promise you Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t either.
Many fans echoed, “MacKinnon is going to destroy for the Avalanche after this.”
I’m preparing for exactly that, especially in the early rounds.
I can and will use the same logic when giving Colorado the edge defensively. This time, I’ll be way more brief but just as effective.
Cale Makar exists.
Lastly, between the pipes.
I’d say this sets up as the advantage for Colorado that probably doesnt create as wide a gap between the competition, at least as of today.
If Scott Wedgewood’s play this regular season carries over into the postseason, the clear advantage goes to Colorado, but that remains to be seen.
Let us know what you think in the comments!
