The Avalanche lead the best-of-7 series 2-0. Game 3 will be at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, FDSNSC, truTV, TNT, ALT, SN360, SN, TVAS).
“Playoffs are going to be hard. It's a really good team over there,” Colorado forward Nathan MacKinnon said. “They’re playing hard. We're playing hard. It’s low scoring, but it's fun hockey. I thought we played pretty solid. I thought we had a lot of good looks, generating a ton. Their goalie has been really good. Our goalie has been really good. Need to find a way to steal Game 3 here.”
Necas and Devon Toews each had an assist for the Avalanche, the Presidents’ Trophy winner and top seed in the West. Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves, including on a Quinton Byfield penalty shot that came while short-handed at 3:12 of the second period.
“That’s how we have to win. It’s good practice,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s something we’ve been talking about all year, the importance of the defending, and I’m happy with the commitment that we’re getting from our guys.
“I still think we got another step in our game that we can ramp up to. So we just got to go out and try to better our performances at home now on the road.”
Artemi Panarin scored, and Trevor Moore and Byfield each had an assist for the Kings, the second wild card from the West. Forsberg made 34 saves.
“To a man, we’re playing hard. We hoped to be split here, but regardless, we’re going to have to win at home,” Los Angeles interim coach D.J. Smith said. “We have to find a way to win. Clearly, good isn’t enough.”
Panarin’s power-play goal gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead at 13:04 of the third period. Moore took the puck toward the net from the right corner and fed Panarin high in the left circle for the wrist shot short side past the blocker.
“We would've liked to steal one, but you can't look back. You can only look forward,” Moore said. “Confidence-wise, we've hung in there with them for two games. We’ve been competitive. We could've won either night. Obviously, that's a good sign for our group.”
NOTES: Wedgewood became the second goaltender in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history to make a save on a penalty shot during the playoffs, joining Philipp Grubauer (Game 5 of the 2019 First Round). …. Panarin became the fourth Kings player over the past 25 years to score in each of his first two playoff games with the club, joining Andrei Kuzmenko (2025), Troy Stecher (2022) and Freddy Modin (2010). Panarin also became the sixth player in Kings history to score in each of his first two road playoff games with the franchise. The others: Modin (three games in 2010), Daryl Evans (three in 1982), Bernie Nicholls (three in 1982), Glen Murray (two in 1998) and Larry Murphy (two in 1981).
