At least it’s not Edmonton. That’s likely the mindset in Los Angeles after four straight first-round exits to the Oilers. The Kings avoided a fifth meeting, but the reward isn’t much better.
Instead, they draw Colorado, a team that may have them looking back at those Edmonton series a little differently. Against the Oilers, Los Angeles at least had a path. Here, that path is far less clear.
The regular season made that gap obvious. Colorado won all three meetings, each by multiple goals, outscoring the Kings 13-5. That wasn’t a one-off, either. The Avalanche dominated the Pacific Division as a whole, going 19-2-3.
Los Angeles now has to win four times against a team that rarely lost within its own division, a nearly impossible task.
How the Avalanche Can Win
Colorado simply needs to avoid complacency and play its brand of hockey. When they do, they are the far better team across the board.
The Avalanche generate offense at a high level, defend well enough, and control the pace. The one relative weakness is the power play, but even that may not matter here. Los Angeles ranked near the bottom of the league on the penalty kill, which gives Colorado an opportunity to find rhythm with the extra skater.
Beyond that, the focus is straightforward: stay disciplined and stay healthy. Depth could become an issue later in the postseason, but in this round, Colorado has more than enough to handle the matchup.
How the Kings Can Win
There isn’t an obvious formula.
For Los Angeles to have a chance, it starts in goal. Whether it’s Darcy Kuemper or Anton Forsberg, the Kings will need elite-level goaltending throughout the series.
Defensively, they’ve shown an ability to limit shots and keep games close, which is how they’ve been able to grind out results late in the season. But they haven’t done that against a team like Colorado.
The Kings can control games against average opponents. Unfortunately for them, the Avalanche are anything but average.
X-Factor
How aggressive will Colorado be?
The Avalanche know a much tougher test is likely waiting in the next round, whether that’s Dallas or Minnesota. That raises a strategic question. Do they push to close this quickly, or use the series to get their depth more involved?
That decision falls to Jared Bednar, and it could shape how this series unfolds.
Prediction
It’s rare to see such a one-sided affair in the postseason, but this one is difficult to ignore.
Los Angeles doesn’t have a clear edge anywhere on the ice, and without one, it’s hard to build a case over multiple games. Barring injuries to key players like Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar, Colorado should control this series from start to finish.
The Pick: Avalanche in 4
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