The Avalanche and Kings have not squared off in the playoffs since 2001-02.
As of early Tuesday, the Avalanche clinched a playoff berth on March 20, 2026. They finished the regular season with an impressive record of 55-16-11, winning the Central Division.
Meanwhile, the Kings secured their postseason spot on April 13, 2026. They claimed the second wild-card position in the West with a record of 35-27-20.
This series is particularly poignant for the Kings as it is the final postseason for center Anze Kopitar, who will retire after this season.
The best-of-seven series begins with Game 1 on April 19, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET. The Avalanche are favored to win at -292 against the Kings.
In their three regular-season meetings, the Avalanche dominated, winning all three games. Nathan MacKinnon was a standout player, scoring six points against the Kings this season.
The Kings had been on an eight-game point streak (6-0-2) before suffering a loss to the Calgary Flames. They also set an NHL record with 33 trips to overtime this season.
“We’re going to have to weather the storm,” said Kings coach D.J. Smith. His team faces a tough challenge ahead.
Anze Kopitar noted that “it didn’t really hit yet,” hinting at the emotional weight of this being his last playoff run.
Avalanche forward Brock Nelson stated they need to “just continue to ramp it up” as they prepare for their opponents.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the status of injured players for the Kings. Observers are eager to see how this historic matchup unfolds.