The Colorado Avalanche completed a dominant 4-0 sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 5-1 victory on Sunday night in Los Angeles.

Nathan MacKinnon paced the Avalanche with two goals and an assist in Game 4, including a power-play tally. Cale Makar added a goal to double Colorado's lead, while Artturi Lehkonen scored a shorthanded goal following a Kings turnover. The win marked the end of Anze Kopitar's NHL career, as the longtime Kings captain was applauded by teammates, fans and officials after the game.

Scott Wedgewood was solid in net for Colorado throughout the series, including 24 saves in Game 1 and Game 3. The Avalanche outscored the Kings 13-5 across the four games.

The series began on April 19 in Los Angeles, where Colorado edged the Kings 2-1 behind Wedgewood's strong play and a goal from Logan O'Connor, who snapped a year-long scoring drought. Game 2 on April 21 in Denver went to overtime, with Nicolas Roy scoring the winner at 7:44 to give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead. In Game 3 on April 23 back in Los Angeles, Colorado pulled ahead 4-2 with goals from Gabriel Landeskog, Makar, Lehkonen and Brock Nelson, including Lehkonen's shorthanded marker and Nelson's empty-netter. Wedgewood stopped 24 shots in that contest.

The top-seeded Avalanche, who finished the regular season with a 55-16-11 record, now await the winner of the series between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild in the second round. That Central Division matchup heads to Game 5 on Tuesday.

Lehkonen has emerged as a key playoff performer for Colorado, earning praise as a 'special player in playoffs.' MacKinnon and Makar continued their strong form, providing the offensive firepower that overwhelmed the Kings.

The Kings, entering as the No. 2 wild card, struggled to generate consistent offense against Colorado's defense. Anton Forsberg saw time in net for Los Angeles, making 19 saves in Game 3.

Colorado's sweep marks their second straight advancement past the first round and positions them as favorites in the West. The second-round series schedule will be determined once the Stars-Wild outcome is known.