Kings Keep It Close But Fall To Potent Avalanche To Open Playoffs

DENVER — Different opponent. Same result.

In each of nan past 4 seasons, nan Kings person opened nan Stanley Cup playoffs against nan Edmonton Oilers. They mislaid each time.

So connected Sunday nan Kings tried a different route, opening against nan Colorado Avalanche.

They lost, 2-1.

The goals came from Artturi Lehkonen precocious successful nan 2nd play and Logan O’Connor early successful nan third. The Kings made a crippled of it late, pulling goaltender Anton Fosberg pinch 2:57 to play and getting a power-play extremity from Artemi Panarin 35 seconds later. But that was arsenic adjacent arsenic they would get.

Maybe nan Kings should person been observant what they wished for. Because while nan Avalanche aren’t nan Oilers, they’re amended — overmuch amended — than immoderate of nan caller Edmonton teams.

This play they won nan Presidents’ Trophy, nan prize that goes to nan squad pinch nan champion regular-season grounds successful nan league, and they earned it by scoring nan astir goals and giving up nan fewest successful nan NHL. They besides had nan champion location grounds successful nan Western Conference and nan champion roadworthy grounds successful nan league.

And they started quickly Sunday, putting 4 shots connected extremity successful nan first 4 minutes. But Forsberg was spectacular, making 28 saves to support nan Kings successful nan game.

Colorado thought it had beaten him little than 7 minutes into nan 2nd play erstwhile O’Connor recovered nan backmost of nan nett from nan correct circle but nan extremity was waved disconnected by a goalie interference telephone connected Jack Drury, who tumbled into nan crease arsenic O’Connor was releasing his shot. The Avalanche questioned nan call, claiming Kings defender Drew Doughty had pushed Drury from behind, but they mislaid nan challenge.

There was nary uncertainty astir Colorado’s adjacent goal, which came 4:31 earlier nan 2nd intermission erstwhile Lehkonen, defended tightly by Doughty, was capable to scope retired his instrumentality and expanse successful nan rebound of Nathan MacKinnon‘s changeable from nan correct boards.

The Avalanche doubled their advantage 5:50 into nan 3rd play erstwhile Joel Edmundson mislaid nan puck successful nan Kings’ zone, allowing O’Connor to cod it and title defenseman Cody Ceci to nan beforehand of nan nett earlier beating Forsberg cleanly. Drury sewage an assistance connected nan play.

The game, which had been beingness each afternoon, turned chippy aft that, giving nan Kings a powerfulness play they took advantage to halve Colorado’s lead. But nan Avalanche past closed retired nan crippled to a 1-0 lead successful nan series.

The best-of-seven playoff resumes Tuesday nighttime successful Denver earlier moving to nan Crypto.com Arena connected Thursday.