The top-seeded Colorado Avalanche opened their Western Conference First Round series with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night, taking a 1–0 lead behind clutch third-period scoring, standout goaltending, and a tense, physical finish in Denver.
In his first Stanley Cup Playoffs start, Scott Wedgewood delivered a composed, high-pressure performance, stopping 24 shots for the win after getting the nod over Mackenzie Blackwood. At 33 years and 248 days old, Wedgewood became the third-oldest goaltender in NHL history to earn a win in his first career playoff start.
Despite limited postseason experience—just four prior relief appearances—Wedgewood held firm as Colorado absorbed late pressure, including a frantic final minutes push from Los Angeles.
The decisive moment came from Logan O’Connor, who scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period—his first tally in over a year. O’Connor, who missed most of the season with a hip injury, hadn’t scored since Game 4 of a playoff series against Dallas on April 26 last year.
His return to form provided a crucial boost for the Avalanche, who also saw Artturi Lehkonen find the net in the second period to give Colorado an early lead.
Nathan MacKinnon continued his playoff dominance with an assist on Lehkonen’s goal, extending his remarkable Game 1 production. He now has 32 career points in series openers, trailing only Joe Sakic (42) in franchise history for Game 1 scoring.
Colorado’s top-end talent controlled stretches of play, but Los Angeles stayed within striking distance thanks to strong goaltending and opportunistic play.
Los Angeles Kings made things interesting late when Artemi Panarin scored a power-play goal with 2:22 remaining to cut the deficit to 2–1. However, shortly after, Joel Armia was called for high-sticking, limiting the Kings’ ability to generate a final equalizer.
Anton Forsberg, making his NHL postseason debut, stopped 28 shots for Los Angeles in a strong but losing effort.
The game’s intensity peaked in the third period, where physical play escalated. Cale Makar absorbed a shove from Adrian Kempe, prompting Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog to step in and confront Kempe. Both players received roughing penalties.
The game featured a combined 84 hits, underscoring the growing playoff rivalry and physical tone of the series.
Colorado also had a potential second-period goal waved off after O’Connor appeared to score, but officials ruled Jack Drury interfered with Forsberg following contact with Drew Doughty. The Avalanche challenged the call, but it was upheld.
The series now shifts to Game 2 on Tuesday night in Denver, where the Avalanche will look to build on their early momentum while the Kings aim to respond after a tight opening defeat.
With elite talent, physical intensity, and tight margins already defining the matchup, this series is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the Western Conference.
