Even after completing a first-round sweep, Cale Makar made sure to acknowledge that the Los Angeles Kings were far tougher than a four-game se would ever suggest. The Colorado Avalanche became the first Western Conference team to punch its ticket past the opening round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, closing out Los Angeles with a commanding 5-1 victory at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. The final score looked decisive. The series itself was anything but. Colorado now earns valuable rest before facing either the Dallas Stars or Minnesota Wild in Round 2, but Makar’s postgame remarks reflected the grind required to survive a disciplined, stubborn opponent. “It’s a good test for us. That’s a stingy defensive team over there that has a lot of offensive threats, and we found different ways to be able to shut them down,” Makar told reporters afterwards, per NHL.com's Dan Greenspan. “They played us really well defensively, and it felt like these last couple games we did a better job at finding different ways to get to the net. For us, again, it’s a lot of internal stuff. We got to make sure that we’re working together as a team, and there’s no individual in here, that’s for sure.” CLOSER THAN A SWEEP SUGGESTS Although Colorado won the series in four games, Los Angeles consistently forced the Avalanche to work for every inch of ice. Games 1 and 2 were each decided by a single goal, while Game 3 remained within reach until Brock Nelson iced it with a late empty-netter. The Kings defended with structure, battled through traffic, and refused to allow Colorado the kind of easy rhythm elite teams often thrive on. But the Avalanche never blinked. Their depth surfaced at the right moments, their stars dictated stretches of play, and Scott Wedgewood delivered calm, reliable goaltending throughout the matchup. Colorado’s netminder surrendered just five total goals in the series, a number that ultimately became impossible for Los Angeles to overcome. KINGS EXIT WITH QUESTIONS For the Kings, the ending lands with disappointment. Artemi Panarin provided offensive push after arriving from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, but the absence of Kevin Fiala loomed heavily in a series where goals were scarce and margins razor-thin. The loss also marked the final chapter of Anze Kopitar’s NHL career. Though he was unable to secure one last playoff victory, the future Hall of Famer leaves the game with two Stanley Cups and the admiration of a fan base that gave him a thunderous sendoff after Game 4. Colorado moves on looking every bit like a championship threat. Los Angeles departs knowing it made the favorite earn every win. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0e104dfd-4b6b-4336-8aab-190cc7d84554.jpeg]
