Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche

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The Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11) host the Los Angeles Kings (35-27-20) to begin the NHL Playoffs first round in Denver on Sunday at 3 p.m. EDT.

The Avalanche, who went 3-0 against the Kings during the regular season including a 4-2 victory on March 2, are favored to win with betting odds of -264. The Avalanche have an 18-2-6 record when scoring a power-play goal and are 26-9-6 in home games.

Top performer Martin Necas has 38 goals and 61 assists for Colorado, while Nathan MacKinnon has five goals and five assists over his last 10 games. For the Kings, Artemi Panarin leads with 28 goals and 56 assists, and Adrian Kempe has 10 goals and three assists in his last 10 games.

The Kings are 20-10-11 on the road and 26-4-11 in games where they score at least three goals. Injuries include Kevin Fiala being out for the season for the Kings, while Nazem Kadri and Josh Manson are day-to-day for the Avalanche.

the teams meet for the fourth time this season In the opening round of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche, winners of the Presidents' Trophy with 121 points,...