Kings Look to Upset Avalanche in Game 1 of Western Conference First Round

Colorado's Kadri and Manson back in lineup; Los Angeles more dangerous with addition of Panarin

Apr. 19, 2026 at 12:24am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game between the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings, with the players and action broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and shape.The Avalanche and Kings open their Western Conference First Round series, with Colorado seeking to defend its Presidents' Trophy and Los Angeles aiming to pull off the playoff upset.Denver Today

The Colorado Avalanche, who won the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular-season record, host the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round. The Kings have become more dangerous offensively since acquiring Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers, but the Avalanche are still the favorites with their deep roster of Olympians. Los Angeles interim coach D.J. Smith knows his team will need some players to outperform expectations to have a chance at the upset.

Why it matters

This series features a Presidents' Trophy winner in the Avalanche against a Kings team that has improved significantly since the Olympic break. The outcome could set the tone for the rest of the Western Conference playoffs.

The details

The Avalanche defeated the Kings 4-2 when the teams last met on March 2, but Colorado coach Jared Bednar expects a different Los Angeles team now. The addition of Panarin, who has 27 points in 26 games since joining the Kings, has made them more dangerous offensively. Los Angeles' lines of Kempe, Kopitar, and Panarin are particularly formidable. However, the Avalanche still have a deep, talented roster that won the Presidents' Trophy.

  • The Avalanche and Kings last played on March 2, a 4-2 win for Colorado.
  • Panarin joined the Kings on Feb. 4 and played his first game with the team on Feb. 25 following the 2026 Winter Olympic break.

The players

Jared Bednar

The head coach of the Colorado Avalanche.

D.J. Smith

The interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings.

Artemi Panarin

A forward who was acquired by the Los Angeles Kings from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4 and has 27 points in 26 games since joining the team.

Adrian Kempe

A Kings forward who plays on a dangerous line with Anze Kopitar and Artemi Panarin.

Anze Kopitar

A Kings forward who plays on a dangerous line with Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin.

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What they’re saying

“They're more dangerous offensively than they were before. I'm sure some of that is coached into the team and I also think the addition of a guy like (Artemi) Panarin, who has over a point a game since joining the team.”

— Jared Bednar, Avalanche head coach

“Someone's got to go out there, and have a good shift and stop it. And let's be honest, we're going to have to have some guys play outside their comfort zone. We're going to have to have some guys outperform, maybe what they are and that's what has to happen for teams to knock off a Presidents' Trophy winner. You need a special performance by one, two, maybe three guys for two weeks, and we got guys in that room that can do it.”

— D.J. Smith, Kings interim head coach

What’s next

The winner of Game 1 will take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-7 series have an all-time series record of 535-252 (.680), including a 10-5 (.667) mark in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The takeaway

This first-round matchup between the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche and the surging Kings, bolstered by the addition of Artemi Panarin, has the potential to be an exciting and closely contested series. The Kings will need some players to elevate their game beyond expectations if they hope to pull off the upset against the deep and talented Avalanche roster.