LA Kings draw Avalanche
- NHL first‑round scheduling confirms the Los Angeles Kings open against the No.1 Colorado Avalanche. - NHL previews say LA will lean on captain Anze Kopitar while Colorado enters as the West’s top seed. - The matchup sets a tough path for LA as the playoffs begin April 18 across the league ( ).
The Los Angeles Kings open the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, against the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche in Denver. (nhl.com) Game 1 is set for Ball Arena, with Colorado hosting the opener after finishing first in the Western Conference. The National Hockey League’s first-round schedule began Saturday, April 18, and the Kings-Avalanche series starts a day later. (nhl.com) Colorado locked up the West’s No. 1 seed and the Central Division title on April 7 with a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. The Avalanche later clinched the Presidents’ Trophy by beating the Calgary Flames 3-1 on April 9. (nhl.com, nhl.com) Los Angeles reached the playoffs as a Western Conference wild card, setting up the hardest available first-round draw in the conference. NHL.com’s series preview said the Kings will lean on captain Anze Kopitar as Colorado tries to finish off what it called a dominant regular season. (nhl.com) Kopitar’s role carries extra weight because this is his final National Hockey League season. The Kings captain announced in September 2025 that he will retire after his 20th season, all of them with Los Angeles. (nhl.com) The matchup also comes with a recent coaching reset for Los Angeles. NHL.com’s Game 1 preview said interim coach D.J. Smith took over March 1 after Jim Hiller was fired, and Colorado beat the Kings 4-2 the next day in Smith’s first game behind the bench. (nhl.com) Colorado swept the regular-season series, winning all three meetings in regulation. The Avalanche’s team preview for Sunday’s opener said those results included a 4-2 win on March 2. (nhl.com) That leaves Los Angeles opening its postseason against the conference’s best regular-season team, on the road, with its longtime captain in his last run. The series starts Sunday in Denver, and Colorado has home ice in Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. (nhl.com, nhl.com)
