The Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived, with eight compelling first-round matchups to preview. Following our Eastern Conference coverage, we now turn to the Western Conference, which wrapped up on the final day of the regular season.
Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings
What to Know: The Colorado Avalanche coasted through another dominant regular season, capturing the Presidents' Trophy with a rosterbr/>teeming with star power. They'll face a Los Angeles Kings team with significant playoff experience but lingering lineup issues.
Colorado's Advantage
The Avalanche present a formidable challenge. This roster combines elite talent like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar with exceptional depth,
allowing them to roll four lines and three pairings effectively. Their average margin of victory was 1.2 goals, with six players scoring
20-plus goals, including MacKinnon, Makar, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen, and Parker Kelly.
The goaltending group finished with a .908 save rate, the best in the NHL. Oddsmakers price Colorado as an 84% favorite to advance,
far ahead of any other first-round favorite. The Kings finished with a minus-22 goal differential and just 22 regulation wins.
Los Angeles' Advantage
The Kings underwent a significant transformation after firing head coach Jim Hiller on March 1. Since then, they're sixth in even-strength
goal differential with 56% goal share. The acquisition of Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in February created a dynamic line with
Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. They've logged 330 even-strength minutes together with devastating results.
Player to Watch: Darcy Kuemper returns to Colorado after serving as their starting goaltender during the 2022 Stanley Cup run,
stopping 90.2% of shots over 16 games. While not his finest statistical season, he provides crucial veteran experience for a team
expecting to be undermanned.
Pick: The Kings may exceed their full-season indicators, but the matchup presents significant challenges. Colorado won regular-season
matchups 13-5 in aggregate. Avalanche in five games.