The Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived, bringing eight exciting first-round matchups to analyze. We previewed the Eastern Conference action on Wednesday.
Today, we turn to the Western Conference, which wrapped up on the final day of the regular season.
Avalanche vs Kings: What to Know
The Colorado Avalanche coasted through another stress-free regular season, winning the Presidents' Trophy. With a roster full of star power, they enter in "Stanley Cup or bust" mode.
The Avalanche will begin their quest for a fourth Stanley Cup against the Los Angeles Kings, a team with plenty of playoff experience but facing some lineup challenges.
The Colorado Advantage
Any optimism regarding the Kings is limited. They struggled all season, ending with a negative-22 goal differential and just 22 regulation wins, tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for 30th in the NHL.
More telling is what the Avalanche represent: a hockey juggernaut. They combine elite star power through Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar with incredible depth, allowing them to roll four lines and three pairings comfortably.
Key stats: The average Colorado game saw them winning by 1.2 goals. Six players scored 20 or more goals, including MacKinnon, Makar, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen, and Parker Kelly. The Avalanche goaltending group finished with a .908 save rate, easily best in the NHL.
Oddsmakers have priced Colorado as an 84% favorite to advance in Round 1, far ahead of any other favorite.
The Los Angeles Advantage
The Kings are not the same team from earlier in the year. Since firing head coach Jim Hiller on March 1, Los Angeles ranks sixth in even-strength goal differential (56% goal share).
Key change: Since acquiring Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in early February, Panarin, Kempe, and Kopitar have played 330 minutes together at even strength with devastating effect.
From a talent perspective, this line ranks among the best in hockey. Elite defensive play by Kopitar combined with Panarin and Kempe's offensive wizardry makes this a dangerous group for Colorado.
Player to Watch
Goalie Darcy Kuemper may not have had his best season, but he's the veteran goalie needed in a series where the team knows it's undermanned.
Kuemper is familiar with Colorado—he manned the net for the Stanley Cup-winning Avalanche in 2022, stopping 90.2% of shots faced over the 16-game run.
Prediction
The Kings may be slightly better than their full-season numbers suggest, but they face a steep challenge. The aggregate score in regular-season matchups was 13-5 in favor of Colorado.
Pick: Avalanche in five.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights won the Pacific Division title for the fifth time in nine seasons. Despite being描述ed as a "down year," they fired their coach late in the season.
Vegas has been one of the most reliably dominant teams since entering the league in 2017-18. Their roster is loaded with playoff experience and they'll be tested in the opening round against a dangerous opponent.