Category: NHL

While the Pittsburgh Penguins are in the midst of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the NHL level, both of the team's affiliates are beginning their own post-season runs. 

And for the Penguins' ECHL affiliate, things have gotten off to a great start.

On Friday, the Wheeling Nailers began their first-round semifinal series in the Kelly Cup Playoffs at home against the Reading Royals - ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh's first-round opponent - and they won Games 1 and 2 on back-to- back days to go ahead in the series, 2-0. They won by a score of 4-0 on Friday - with Taylor Gauthier earning the shutout - and a score of 5-1 on Saturday.

According to THN - ECHL editor Samantha Wismer, Game 1 was a very physical affair, with several misconducts handed out at the end of the game. The scoring didn't begin until the second period, when forward Zach Urdahl took a pass from defenseman Emil Pieniniemi and put it home to give the Nailers a 1-0 lead - with Gauthier registering the secondary assist. Later in the period, Urdahl struck shorthanded as well, putting his team up, 2-0. 

Forward Max Graham added a tally in the third period, and captain Matthew Quercia tacked on the empty-netter to give Wheeling the 4-0 win before the extracurriculars at the end, which involved six misconduct penalties split between the two teams. Gauthier stopped all 20 Reading shots he faced, and Quercia finished with two points. 

Wheeling Dominates Late, Skates Past Reading in Physical Game 1 VictoryA shorthanded breakaway ignited the offense, followed by crucial third-period goals and late-game fireworks, as Wheeling secured a hard-fought Game 1 victory.

As for Game 2, Reading dominated early on, as they outshot Wheeling 14-5 in the first period. But the Nailers came away with the only goal in the first, as Quercia scored early in the opening frame to give Wheeling the 1-0 lead.

Things opened up for the Nailers in the second period, however. Ryan McAllister was the first to tack on, and Matty St. Phalle followed suit later on in the middle frame. Reading's Alec Butcher scored the team's lone goal late in the period to cut the Wheeling lead to 3-1, but that was the closest they would come to tying things up. 

Blake Bennett tallied one in the third period for the Nailers before a Craig Armstrong empty-net goal to seal the 5-1 victory. Gauthier stopped 32 of 33 Royals' shots, giving him a staggering .981 save percentage through the first two games.

Quercia, Bennett Lead Wheeling to Convincing Playoff VictoryQuercia and Bennett ignited scoring, paving the way for Wheeling's dominant playoff performance fueled by key goals and relentless pressure.

Quercia leads the team in points with five so far, and defenseman Emil Pieniniemi is the leader on the blue line with two assists. 

Wheeling next heads to Reading for Games 3 and 4, which will be played on Wednesday and Friday at Santander Arena in Reading, Pa.

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BOSTON (AP) — Josh Doan had a goal and an assist during Buffalo’s four-goal first-period, and Alex Lyon stopped 21 shots to lead the Sabres to a 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday for a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Peyton Krebs, Zach Benson and Bowen Byram also scored to help Buffalo open a 4-0 lead against a Boston team that needed a win at home to avoid moving to the brink of elimination. Beck Malenstyn and Alex Tuch scored 84 seconds apart in the third period to make it 6-0 and chase Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.

The Sabres, who won the Atlantic Division to end an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, can finish off the best-of-seven series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Buffalo for their first playoff series win since 2007.

Krebs scored 4:17 into the game, Doan’s goal came less than three minutes later and Benson followed two minutes after that. When Byram made it 4-0 just 14:24 into the game, it was Buffalo’s second four-goal period of the series; the Sabres rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit to win 4-3 in Game 1.

AVALANCHE 5, KINGS 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews scored in the third period, and top-seeded Colorado swept Los Angeles out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a victory in Game 4.

Cale Makar also scored and Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves as the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avs ended the 20-year career of Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who announced his pending retirement in September.

The Slovenian center is the top scorer in franchise history and a two-time Selke Trophy winner, and he was a star on the Kings’ two Stanley Cup championship teams in 2012 and 2014 before spending the past decade as their captain. The Kings crowd repeatedly chanted “Kopi! Kopi!” in the final minutes of the blowout, and he got standing ovations when he came out for his final two shifts.

The Avalanche all greeted Kopitar warmly while he led the postgame handshake line. He then circled at center ice with his arm raised while his teammates banged their sticks on the ice for his final farewell.

With a masterful four-game demonstration of the roster-wide talent on a team ready to win it all, Colorado advanced to face the winner of the heavyweight first-round series between Dallas and Minnesota. Those clubs are tied heading to Game 5 on Tuesday, meaning the Avs will get at least five consecutive days off before the second round, and quite possibly more.

LIGHTNING 3, CANADIENS 2

MONTREAL (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored his NHL playoffs-leading fifth and sixth goals in the third period and Tampa Bay rallied to beat Montreal in Game 4 to tie the series.

After the first three games in the first-round series went to overtime, Tampa Bay overcame a two-goal deficit to end it in regulation.

Hagel gave the Lightning the lead with 4:43 left, deflecting Nikita Kucherov’s shot past Jakub Dobes.

Jake Guentzel had a goal and assist, and Kucherov added two assists on the top line with Hagel. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 16 saves.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Tampa.

DUCKS 4, OILERS 3, OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Poehling scored 2:29 into overtime, and Anaheim pushed Connor McDavid and Edmonton to the brink of first-round elimination with a victory in Game 4.

Jeffrey Viel tied it with 6:29 left in regulation for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit and another third-period hole before taking a 3-1 series lead with their third consecutive victory over the back-to-back Western Conference champion Oilers.

The Ducks won when Poehling’s sharp-angled shot reluctantly trickled under Edmonton goalie Tristan Jarry, who had played well in his first playoff start for his new team. An extensive video review revealed no reason to overturn the judgment on the ice that the puck had barely crossed the goal line underneath Jarry’s skate.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Edmonton.

It no secret that former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel is a very good player. This was certainly the case yet again this regular season, as he scored 38 goals and set new career highs with 50 assists and 88 points in 81 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

So far this postseason, Guentzel is only continuing to make a big impact. 

In the Lightning's 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4, Guentzel scored a goal and recorded an assist. With this, the former Penguins forward now has seven points in just four games so far this postseason. 

With numbers like these, it is clear that Guentzel is providing the Lightning with strong offensive production early on this postseason. It is not surprising in the slightest, as he is a star player who has stepped up big time in the playoffs before. 

Guentzel will now be looking to stay hot for the Bolts as they continue their series against the Canadiens from here. 

Guentzel was selected by the Penguins with the 77th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. In 503 games over eight seasons with the Penguins, he had 219 goals, 247 assists, 466 points, and a plus-53 rating. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a huge 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of the first round. With it, they have tied the series up at 2-2 as they head back to Tampa for Game 5. 

This was a hard-fought win for the Lightning, too, as they came back from a 2-0 deficit. Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel was the biggest reason for the Bolts' comeback win.

Hagel scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals during the third period for the Lightning in Game 5. With this, he was the Lightning's hero in this matchup. 

This was just the latest strong game from Hagel, as he is having a fantastic start to the playoffs. In four games now this series, he has six goals and seven points. He has also scored at least one goal in each game against the Canadiens, so he is stepping up big time for the Lightning.

Hagel will now be looking to stay hot for the Lightning as they prepare for Game 5. 

Hagel spent three seasons with the Blackhawks from 2019-20 to 2021-22, where he had 30 goals, 31 assists, 61 points, and 102 hits. 

With the season over for the Kings, it means saying goodbye to one of the longest-tenured Kings players. Anze Kopitar is officially retired from the NHL, leaving a legacy that will be remembered for generations. Kopitar is likely to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he is eligible, and he will be remembered not only as one of the greatest Kings players of all time but also as one of the best NHL players of all time. 

Kopitar's Legacy 

Anze Kopitar was drafted 11th overall by the LA Kings in 2005 and became the first Slovenian player drafted into the NHL. Kopitar's impact on the Kings was immediate, as in his first NHL game, he scored 2 goals against the Anaheim Ducks. 

Anze Kopitar helped bring the Kings 2 Stanley Cups in his career, the first in 2012, when he played 20 games and registered 20 points, tying for the team lead with Dustin Brown. Kopitar would also help the Kings win another Stanley Cup just 2 Seasons later in 2014, when he led the Kings in points and helped them win their 2nd Stanley Cup in 3 seasons. Kopitar also became the captain of the LA Kings in 2016 and remained captain until his very last game. 

Kopitar's Accolades 

With Anze Kopitar's long career, he has no shortage of awards in his name. Anze Kopitar won the Selke Trophy in 2016 and 2018, and the award is given to a forward who best excels in the defensive aspect of hockey. Kopitar has consistently showcased his strong 2-way play, serving as a difference-maker on both offence and defence throughout his career. 

Anze Kopitar is also a 3-time recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy, having won it in 2016, 2023, and 2025. The Lady Byng Trophy is an annual award given to the player who demonstrates the best sportsmanship while also maintaining a high standard of play. Anze Kopitar is a symbol not only of this trophy but also of sportsmanship throughout his career. 

Kopitar is also the recipient of the Mark Messier Leadership Award, which he received in 2022. That award demonstrates quality leadership to their team both on and off the ice during the regular season. Anze Kopitar's career awards give an insight into just how great he is both as a person and as a hockey player. 

Kings History 

Throughout the 2025-26 NHL season, Anze Kopitar was chasing down Kings history, and on March 14th, 2026, Anze Kopitar passed Kings franchise legend Marcel Dionne for the most points in LA Kings franchise history, and he currently holds that record with 1316 points. Not only does Kopitar have the most points in Kings history, but he also has the most games played in his NHL career, with 1521. 

The NHL is losing one of the greatest players ever to play, not only for his skill but also for what he represents as a person, a leader, and a teammate. He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest ever to play the game. 

Entering today the Colorado Avalanche had the opportunity to sweep their first round opponent and did just that in a 5-1 victory against the LA Kings. Goals from Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews set the stage for the early handshakes as this series wrapped up with little drama.

The Game

With their season on the line, the Kings got some early momentum out of the gate including two power plays. But they didn’t convert on either opportunity which was just an investment in future Avalanche power plays. And that is exactly what happened as Colorado received their first man advantage before the period was over and scored just 15 seconds into it when they collapsed on Los Angeles’ box and Nathan MacKinnon scored his first goal of the playoffs to put the Avalanche up 1-0.

That one-goal lead for Colorado stretched to two early in the second period as Cale Makar snuck up in the offensive zone and wired a quick wrist shot past Anton Forsberg. The Kings’ season was really on life support now with Colorado looking to run out the clock and wrap-up this game. However, before the end of the frame there was a hint of life for the Kings as Joel Edmundson took advantage of some lax defense, advanced in the offensive zone and put the puck past Scott Wedgewood. Colorado was still in the driver’s seat, though, still up 2-1 at that point.

While that glimmer of hope may have simmered for the Kings during the second intermission, the Avalanche doused it quickly in the third period with strikes from Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews. The Kings decided to pull their goaltender for the extra attacker with over five minutes left but MacKinnon added another goal to Colorado’s totals. With a 5-1 victory secured the Avalanche will be moving on to the second round.

At that point with five minutes left in the game it was time to show Kings captain Anze Kopitar appreciation for his successful 20-year career and give him the space to give his final farewell to the Kings fans in attendance and watching from all over the world. Congratulations, Anze! The game of hockey will miss you.

Takeaways

The Kings put up a valiant fight but the reality always has been this series set up as just the appetizer to the main course that’s to come for Colorado in a second round showdown with either the Dallas Stars or Minnesota Wild. A power play goal and Nathan MacKinnon appearing on the scoresheet were good to see before this series wrapped up as both will need to make frequent appearances as the Avalanche move forward.

Colorado should get a full week off to heal some bumps and bruises but how they manage rest vs. rust will be something to monitor moving forward.

Upcoming

A long wait to start the second round series against either Dallas or Minnesota who are currently locked into a 2-2 tie in their series.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar bid farewell to his Hall of Fame-worthy career on Sunday, April 26.

It was a bittersweet ending for the two-time Stanley Cup champion as the Kings fell 5-1 to the Colorado Avalanche at home in Game 4 and were eliminated in a sweep.

But the 20-season veteran got to have his final moments with Kings fans, who shouted "Kopi, Kopi" as time wound down, gave him a standing ovation and also chanted, "Thank you, Kopi."

"It was hard to keep it together," Kopitar told reporters after the game about the fan reaction. "Being for here for 20 years, more than half of my lifetime, is really special.

He was emotional as he received lots of hugs from the Avalanche during his final handshake line. Then he lifted his stick toward the fans and waved goodbye as his teammates tapped their sticks and on-ice officials applauded. Teammate Drew Doughty, also a member of the Kings' Stanley Cup teams, followed him off the ice.

Anze Kopitar leaves the ice for the final time in his NHL career 🩶 pic.twitter.com/6IGEe5VJg6

— NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2026

Kopitar had announced during training camp that this would be the final season of his NHL career so he could spend more time with his family. He became the Kings' all-time leading scorer during the season. And with a five-game winning streak in the season's final weeks, Kopitar was guaranteed an 11th trip to the playoffs.

The Kings avoided a fourth consecutive first-round meeting with the Edmonton Oilers. But they had to face the No. 1 overall seeded Avalanche. Colorado completed the sweep on Sunday with goals by Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy, Devon Toews and MacKinnon again. The Avalanche will face the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild winner in the second round.

Watch Anze Kopitar's emotional farewell

Reality setting in for Anze Kopitar ☹️ pic.twitter.com/KTjiR0EQxV

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 26, 2026

A standing ovation for Anze Kopitar as he hit the ice in the final minutes of regulation 👑 #StanleyCuppic.twitter.com/59CLR2vCdl

— NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2026

Anze Kopitar makes his way through the handshake line after his final NHL game 🥹 pic.twitter.com/gdmM1f5mcm

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 26, 2026

Is Anze Kopitar a Hall of Famer?

Easily for his championships, defensive acumen and leadership.

The Slovenian native and 11th overall pick in 2005 won Stanley Cup titles with the Kings in 2012 and 2014, and was the leading playoff scorer in both years. He passed a Hall of Famer, Marcel Dionne, to become the Kings' top scorer and finished with 452 goals, 864 assists and 1,316 points. He has been Kings captain since the 2016-17 season.

Kopitar, 38, led the Kings with 107 postseason games and finished tied for second with 89 points.

He won the Selke Trophy twice as top defensive forward and the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) three times, including in 2024-25. He also won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021-22.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA Kings' Anze Kopitar bids farewell to career after playoff loss

The Chicago Blackhawks had a lot of great playoff success from 2009 to 2015. During that span, they had five trips to the Western Conference Finals and three Stanley Cup championships. They also created some great rivalries with teams from within the West. 

One of these teams, the Los Angeles Kings, was as good as any they faced. During the same span, the Kings reached three West Finals and won the Stanley Cup twice. The two organizations won a total of five Cups from 2010 to 2015. 

Leading the way for LA through that era of championship success was forward Anze Kopitar. He was as admirable a playoff foe as the Blackhawks faced during that time. As their best forward, he was a key part of their core, which included stars like Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter, and Dustin Brown. 

On Sunday, the Colorado Avalanche completed their first-round sweep over Kopitar and the Kings, putting an end to Kopitar’s 20-year NHL career, all with LA. He was their 11th overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, and he has exceeded every expectation since. 

Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews drew a lot of comparisons to one another as they were very similar players. They could each contribute offensively at a high level, but both put emphasis on being great two-way forwards. There were multiple Selke Trophies, Stanley Cups, and leadership awards won between the two of them. 

In 59 regular-season games played against the Blackhawks, Kopitar had 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points. There were some incredible battles, including all of those postseason matches where he was the most impactful forward. 

Now and again, a player is so great both on and off the ice that they will receive praise and respect from everyone, even their biggest rivals. Kopitar is one of those players. 

There is a chance that this is not the last that hockey fans will see of Kopitar. For one, he is going to have his number retired, be in the Hall of Fame, and have many other accolades thrown his way. 

He may also be someone interested in front office or coaching work. He is a smart hockey man who has the knowledge needed to be involved one way or another down the line. 

Blackhawks fans will remember him amongst the greatest individual rivals to ever play against them, especially since he was prominent during such a successful stretch for both teams. 

Anze Kopitar makes his way through the handshake line after his final NHL game 🥹 pic.twitter.com/gdmM1f5mcm

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 26, 2026

Kopi says goodbye to the LA Kings fans after a legendary 20 year run 🥹👏 pic.twitter.com/BNeVsUW9TK

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 26, 2026

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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The Los Angeles Kings have been fighting all season long to get into the playoffs, but today that fight ended as the Colorado Avalanche completed the sweep with a 5-1 win in Game four.

 After debating whether they should shuffle the top line, D.J. Smith finally pulled the trigger, opting to put Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield, and Trevor Moore in the top line and moving Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar to the second line with Alex Laferriere. 

The early results were encouraging in the second period, when the changes were made; it was the best shift of the period by Laferriere, with Kopitar and Kempe together on the line, setting up Joel Edmundson right away to score and cut the deficit to one goal. 

But, as they've done all series, the Avs responded. A three-goal burst in the final period by Colorado quickly put the Kings in a three-goal hole. Things only snowballed from there as the Kings' offense went stagnant and Colorado began to dominate the neutral zone and convert on their open looks. 

It was safe to say that with their backs against the wall, the Kings were going to play with desperation to open the game. Ten minutes into the match, LA was very aggressive on offense, outshooting the visiting team 6-2, and, once again, the opportunities to score were there. 

Kings' forward Alex Laferriere has had the most scoring chances out of every player in the playoffs who hasn't yet scored a goal. The 24-year-old had a great look in the slot, but came up short, and so did forward Adrian Kempe, who overshot the puck above the net and went wide right. 

Add 2 more to that total for Alex Laferriere on his first shift of the game. He's been around it all series, has two assists, but can't buy one himself. https://t.co/5eL7Gvw4ki

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 26, 2026

Not only that, but the Kings got onto the power play twice in the early parts of the opening period and failed to convert a goal in both instances. The energy and hostility were there for LA fighting for their lives to force a game 5, but they couldn't overcome Avs goaltender Scott Wedgewood. 

With that, LA left the door open again for the Avs to score, who got onto the power play after Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin got caught for interference. Colorado would convert on the interference, scoring its first power play goal of this series after going 0-for-9 in the first three games. 

Nathan MacKinnon capitalized on the one-timer shot, converting on the nice setup to score his first goal of the playoffs. That's been the story of this series, Colorado taking advantage of the Kings' missed shots and getting on board first to hold the one-goal lead. 

Things got physical in the final two minutes of the first period after Kings forward Jeff Malott and Avs Center Jack Drury got in a fight, which resulted in another power play opportunity for Colorado. 

Los Angeles, though, did a good job of killing the power play and avoiding going down by two goals after Colorado got a little bit of momentum late in the period. 

1-0 Avalanche after 20 minutes.

Big late kill from the Kings. Could feel Colorado taking over a bit, see if that helps stop the momentum a bit at the intermission.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 26, 2026

At the 14:12 mark of the second period, Avs defenseman Cale Makar beat Kings forward Taylor Ward 1-on-1 with an impressive drive to the net while getting fouled and still scored to bury the goal on the short side, giving Colorado a two-goal advantage. 

Colorado was doing a good job keeping possession of the puck to start the second period, limiting shots on goal by the Kings, who went nearly 11 minutes without getting a shot on goal. 

It was a very bad period for the Kings, who hadn't sustained much of anything since that second power play in the first period. Colorado was in control of the game from that point on, with a 2-0 lead.

Just two shots on goal for LA through nearly eleven minutes until Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson stepped on the blue line and scored the goal, picking up Kempe's backhand pass, squeezing the shot past Wedegwood. 

LAK Goal - And it pays off!

Best shift of the period by Laferriere with Kopitar/Kempe and the Kings convert. Edmundson crashes down and buries one. 2-1.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 26, 2026

Huge goal for the Kings, who were very stagnant and slow on offense to start the second period, now getting some momentum with that goal and cutting the deficit to one goal. 

Other than scoring that goal, it wasn't a good period at all for Los Angeles, only generating seven shots on goal. But the Kings did a solid job at keeping the Avalanche at two goals and not further extending the lead after 40 minutes. 

Just when the game felt like the Kings' season was nearing an end with a shots-on-goal drought and the visitors in control, that goal helped bring momentum and left one more period to extend the season. 

In the third period at the 16:47 mark, the Avalanche won the battle in the neutral zone against the Kings, creating a 2-on-1 led by Avs forward Artturi Lehkonen, whose shot was stopped by Anton Forsberg but was cleaned up by Nicolas Roy, giving Colorado the two-goal lead back. 

No matter how hard the Kings played in this game and throughout the series, Colorado just has too many weapons and playmakers on offense for LA to compete with. 

The damage was being done to the Kings. Nearly three minutes after the Avs scored, the visitors once again got on the scoreboard. This time, defenseman Devon Toews made his mark on the game, scoring on the high glove over Forsberg to make it a three-goal lead. 

The Avs' ability to do what they want in the neutral zone against the Kings was very evident in Game 4; Colorado's depth and offense were just dominating LA's defense. 

Colorado put the nail in the coffin after scoring on the empty net at the 5:38 mark to run away with this game and close out the Kings on the courtesy of a sweep. 

The @LAKings season comes to an end in four games.

Emotional moment in the building for Anze Kopitar. Credit to the fans for showing their love.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 26, 2026

Key Takeaways

Joel Edmundson scored the loan goal for the Kings late in the second period, cutting the decicit to one goal, but the offense struggled to generate any more shots from that point on. 

Anton Forsberg had another solid game under the crease, finishing with 28 saves on 32 shots. Despite giving up five goals today, credit Forsberg for playing hard all series long and making every shot tough for the Avalanche. 

There will be plenty of time to discuss roster construction and coaching decisions, especially with this being Anze Kopitar's final game. What direction will the Kings move into? 

Disappointing way for the Kings to go out, especially for Kopitar, who was looking to extend his season. All good things come to an end, and it was a great career for Kopitar, with the legacy he left for nearly 20 years with the silver and black. 

Stay tuned for the offseason, free agency and beyond.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Seven times in the past 12 seasons the Kings have advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs, only to leave after the first round.

They’ve changed coaches five times, general managers twice, even the team captains have changed over that span. But the results have not.

The latest flameout came Sunday when the Colorado Avalanche rode two goals from Nathan MacKinnon and goals from Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews to a 5-1 win and a four-game sweep of the best-of-seven series.

The Kings will begin the offseason for the first time in two decades without Anze Kopitar, who played the final game of his Hall of Fame career Sunday.

Fans at Crypto.com Arena chanted "Thank you, Kopi!" in the final minute of the game, giving him a standing ovation. Kopitar received another standing ovation after the team handshakes, acknowledging the cheers from the crowd.

Joel Edmundson had the lone score for the Kings.

If anything, the Kings are heading backward because they won at least one game in their last five playoffs appearances. Against the Avalanche they not only failed to win, they led just once, for three minutes and 24 seconds late in Game 2.

Colorado, the best team in the NHL during the regular season, was clearly the best team in this series as well, going ahead to stay Sunday on MacKinnon’s power-play goal with less than seven minutes left in the first period. That spoiled what had been the Kings’ special-teams advantage in the series.

The Kings, who had a power-play goal in each of the first three games of the series, were shut out with the man advantage twice in the first 12 minutes of Game 4. Then their penalty kill was beaten for the first time in 10 tries when MacKinnon lined home a slap shot in from the center of the left circle 16 seconds after Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin was sent off for interference.

For MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 53 goals during the regular season, the score was his first of the postseason.

And those weren’t the only penalties in the opening 20 minutes. Just more than two minutes before the first intermission, the physical nature of the series boiled over in a series of scuffles that ended with referee Graham Skilliter meeting with the captains of both teams.

Skilliter then handed out four penalties, a two-minute misconduct to Colorado’s Jack Drury while the Kings’ Samuel Helenius received a two-minute roughing and a 10-minute misconduct and teammate Jeff Malott got a two-minute roughing.

And with that, D.J. Smith’s game plan went out the window.

“We have to be disciplined,” the Kings interim coach had said before the game. “Two [penalties] or less.”

The Kings doubled that total in the first 18 minutes.

Speaking of doubling, Makar gave Colorado a 2-0 lead 5:48 into the second period, collecting a bouncing puck at the blue line, then skating around Kings’ forward Taylor Ward to score on a wrist shot from the edge of the right circle.

But the Kings, less than 35 minutes away from the end of their season, refused to quit with Edmundson cutting the deficit in half about eight minutes later, sending a wrister from the top of the left circle on goal. Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood appeared to stop the puck, only to have it fall to the ice and trickle across the goal line.

Roy got that one back for Colorado 3:13 into the final period, banging the rebound of an Artturi Lehkonen shot between the pads of Kings goalie Anton Forsberg. When Toews scored less than three minutes later, the Avalanche had the biggest lead of the series and the rout was on.

MacKinnon added the final score into an empty net.

And with that another disappointing postseason ended for the Kings and another long offseason began, one the team and general manager Ken Holland will enter with more questions than answers, beginning with the status of his interim coach and the aging core of his roster.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

While it's a disappointing fact that the Detroit Red Wings missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th consecutive season, one positive aspect that leaves no room for disappointment in the season that was is the performance of defenseman Moritz Seider. 

Seider firmly put himself into consideration for the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, not only establishing new career-highs in goals (10), assists (50), points (60), and average ice time (25:39 per game), but he also earned a new career-best plus-15 rating. 

The Norris Trophy is something that Red Wings fans are quite familiar with, considering how many times that former franchise defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom earned the award. 

Speaking of Lidstrom, Seider has equaled a pair of scoring stats no Red Wings defenseman has reached since Lidstrom last suited up in the NHL. 

Seider not only became the first Red Wings defenseman since Lidstrom in 2007-08 to register at least 50 assists, but also the first since Lidsrom in 2010-11 to to reach at least 60 total points .

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Seider's durability was also on full display, as it was his fifth straight season of appearing in all 82 regular-season games; he's never missed a game in his NHL career thus far. 

“Mo is just Mo,” head coach Todd McLellan said earlier in the campaign. “There’s no better way of saying that, because you get the same thing every night, over and over again. The energy he plays with, he never seems tired. He plays with some physicality, defends fairly well, and can provide offense.”

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