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.
Apr 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Buffalo Sabres celebrate their win over the Boston Bruins in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
BOSTON — Sabres coach Lindy Ruff shut down any talk of putting forwards Tyson Kozak and Jason Zucker back in after injuries sent them to the locker room late in Game 4 of Buffalo’s first-round playoff series against the Bruins.
“I said ‘There’s no need to return at this time,’” Ruff said on Sunday after the Sabres waylaid the Bruins 6-1 in Boston. “Just treat them and leave them in the dressing room. Just for where the game was at.”
It was that kind of day for Buffalo — and Boston.
Josh Doan had a goal and an assist during Buffalo’s four-goal first-period, and Alex Lyon stopped 21 shots to help the Sabres take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Buffalo, which fell behind in each of the first three games, took a 6-0 lead before the Bruins got on the board in the final minute.
“I am embarrassed, and we all should be,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “And we’re all (upset), and we will talk about it, but then we have to move on.
“As far as I know, you have to win four games to move on. They’ve got three, so that means we still have a chance,” he said. “And I can cry about it, but I also have to push my guys for the next game and make sure our intensity is going to be there.”
Peyton Krebs, Zach Benson and Bowen Byram also scored to help Buffalo open a 4-0 lead. Beck Malenstyn and Alex Tuch scored 84 seconds apart in the third period to make it 6-0 and chase Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
Boston split the games in Buffalo and needed just one win at home to avoid moving to the brink of elimination. Instead 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.
“They beat us once in our building, so I’m sure that they’re going to come in feeling confident and motivated. We have to be ready for that,” Lyon said. “Sometimes when you have a really good game, it’s almost harder to a degree to curb that emotion. So, enjoy it for a hot second, and then we’ve got a job to do.”
Swayman stopped 23 shots for Boston before he was pulled at 46 minutes, 41 seconds, shouting down the bench in frustration as he left the ice. Joonas Korpisalo stopped all six shots he faced the rest of the way.
“At least the one guy” showed emotion, Sturm said. “It was not his fault today, I can tell you that. Felt bad for him. That’s why we kept him in there for a while, because he’s a battler. He wants to be in.”
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.
The last time the Bruins allowed four goals in the first period of a playoff game, they were facing the Hartford Whalers in the first round of the 1991 postseason.
Sean Kuraly scored a short-handed goal in the final minute to avert the Bruins’ first shoutout of the season.
TheSabres lost Kozak after a hit from Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy midway through the third period sent him into the boards. It wasn’t clear what happened to Zucker, who last appeared in the play-by-play with about five minutes left.
Buffalo’s power-play woes continued — sort of. After failing to score on their first 13 man advantages in the series — and their last 22 in the regular season — the Sabres’ second goal came just after a Boston penalty expired, but before Viktor Arvidsson had gotten back into play.
But they were officially 0 for 2 on the power play, extending their drought to 15 in the series and 37 overall.
“You could say we’re going to be 0-for-whatever. I really don’t care right now,” Ruff said. “As far as I’m concerned, we scored a power-play goal. The guy was still in the box, and it looked good.”
Up next
The Sabres will have a chance to eliminate Boston in Buffalo on Tuesday night, with a Game 6 back at the TD Garden on Friday, if necessary.
Apr 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) controls the puck while under pressure from Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak (27) during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
William Liang-Imagn Images
LOS ANGELES — Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews scored in the third period, and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche swept the Los Angeles Kings out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 5-1 victory in Game 4 on Sunday.
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.
Joel Edmundson scored and Anton Forsberg stopped 27 shots for the Kings, whose fifth consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs ended with their eighth consecutive postseason defeat over the past two years and their seventh straight first-round exit since hoisting the Cup 12 years ago.
Although interim coach D.J. Smith was able to extend his team’s streak of postseason appearances with a late surge into the last wild-card spot, Los Angeles has not won a playoff round since raising the Stanley Cup for the second time.
After scoring 53 goals in the regular season, MacKinnon got his first goal of these playoffs in the first period on a power play, ending the Avs’ 0 for 9 start to the series with the man advantage. Colorado never trailed in Game 4, putting it away with two goals in less than three minutes early in the third.
Although defense-first Los Angeles began the series by slowing down the powerhouse Avs and even holding MacKinnon to one assist in three games, the Kings scored just four goals while being pushed to the brink.
The Kings again failed to score on two early power plays in Game 4 before MacKinnon put the Avs ahead when his one-timer, set up by Nazem Kadri, trickled through Forsberg.
Makar then glided past Taylor Ward early in the second period and fired a beautiful wrist shot for the Conn Smythe Trophy winner’s second goal in two games.
The Kings finally answered with veteran defenseman Edmundson’s first playoff goal since 2020.
But after Roy drove into the slot and scored on a rebound early in the third, Toews threaded a wrist shot through heavy traffic to put Colorado up 4-1.
MacKinnon added an empty-net goal, giving him 57 goals in 99 career playoff games.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 26: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche is congratulated by Cale Makar #8 after scoring a goal. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Kings players pay tribute to Anze Kopitar as he skates off the ice to a standing ovation from the crowd following the team's season-ending playoff loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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 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.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar acknowledges the crowd after playing in his final NHL game Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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.
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.
Kings center Anze Kopitar warms up before Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)Kings captain Anze Kopitar stands on the ice during the national anthem before Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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.
Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson, left, battles Colorado forward Gabriel Landeskog for the puck in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar raises the Stanley Cup as he floats across Lake Bled in Slovenia with family and friends in 2012. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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 .
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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The Buffalo Sabres ripped off a four-goal first period and never looked back en route to a 6-1 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday, April 26.
Peyton Krebs, Josh Doan, Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch all had a goal and an assist, while Zach Benson and Beck Malenstyn also scored for Buffalo. The Sabres takes a 3-1 series lead back home for Game 5 on Tuesday, April 28, after claiming back-to-back victories in Boston.
Krebs netted the opening goal only 4:17 into the first and it was 3-0 less than 10 minutes into the game.
The early flurry was more than enough offense to back goaltender Alex Lyon, who made 23 saves and held a shutout until Boston's lone goal by Sean Kuraly with 40 seconds left in the third.
Boston's Jeremy Swayman allowed six goals on 29 shots before Joonas Korpisalo entered in relief for the final 13:19.
In the midst of falling into a 4-0 deficit in the first period of a playoff game for the first time ever, the Bruins lost Viktor Arvidsson to an upper-body injury after he was hit by Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson.
Buffalo had a 19-5 shot advantage and eight high-danger scoring chances in the opening period.
Krebs scored Buffalo's first game-opening goal of the series. A turnover led to Tuch creating the scoring chance, firing a no-look pass to his oncoming winger for a wrister from the slot.
Just two seconds after Boston killed off a penalty, Doan made it a 2-0 game by deflecting Ryan McLeod's centering pass from the right goal line to the top of the crease at 7:10.
Benson added to the tally only 2:05 later. After picking defenseman Jordan Harris' pocket along the left wing, he drove hard to the net and snuck a backhand shot five-hole on Swayman.
Byram's third goal in three games capped off the four-goal period with 5:36 left. The defenseman took a pass from partner Owen Power down the left side and scored across the grain past a diving Swayman.
Two goals in a span of 84 third-period seconds put an exclamation point on Buffalo's win.
Starting the quick-fire sequence, Jordan Greenway's point shot took deflections off Tyson Kozak and then Malenstyn on its way past Swayman at 5:08. Malenstyn made the ultimate tip from between the circles.
Tuch finalized the Sabres' scoring to make it 6-0 at 6:32, slotting home Tage Thompson's feed from behind the net.
Kuraly scored on the rebound of Andrew Peeke's point shot for the lone Bruins goal, which came short-handed.
The Montreal Canadiens are set to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the first round. The Habs are entering this game with momentum on their side, as they defeated the Bolts in overtime by a 3-2 final score in Game 3.
With their victory in Game 3, the Canadiens have a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4. With this, the Canadiens have a golden opportunity in front of them in Game 4.
If the Canadiens can pull off a victory in Game 4, they would have a 3-1 series lead over the Lightning before heading back to Tampa for Game 5. This would be huge for the Canadiens, as they would have control of the series and three chances to knock out the Lightning.
However, if the Canadiens lose to the Lightning, the series would be tied back up at 2-2. This would once again give the Lightning home ice advantage, which would be far less than ideal for the Habs.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens can defeat the Lightning in Game 4. If they do, they will be in very good shape.
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel was one of the most productive playmakers in the NHL this season, ranking ninth in assists per game.
With Game 4 looming, my Golden Knights vs. Mammoth predictions expect his facilitation skills to be on full display in Utah.
Let’s dive deeper into my NHL picks for Monday, April 27.
Golden Knights vs Mammoth Game 4 prediction
Golden Knights vs Mammoth best bet: Jack Eichel Over 0.5 assists (-135)
Jack Eichelrecorded 63 assists over 74 games during the regular season, and he has picked up where he left off during the playoffs, notching an apple in two of three games against the Utah Mammoth.
The Vegas Golden Knights have generated 37 shots on goal with Eichel on the ice — the most of any player on the team, but he has taken only seven of those 37 attempts (18.9%).
Eichel centers a dangerous top line and plays on a loaded power play featuring Tomas Hertl, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Mitch Marner, who have combined for zero goals on 27 chances. They’re due for an outburst, and Eichel is likely to be involved.
Golden Knights vs Mammoth Game 4 same-game parlay
Mark Stone is the only player on the Vegas roster who plays alongside Eichel at both 5-on-5 and the top power play unit.
Stone is coming off the most productive season of his career and strongly correlates with Eichel, making him a priority target in this parlay.
On the other side, it’s hard to ignore Dylan Guenther’s shot volume. The young sniper has peppered the Vegas net, generating 4+ shots in all three games while averaging 11.7 shot attempts.
Guenther attempted 12 shots in Game 3 and will continue to avoid the toughest matchups at home.
Golden Knights vs Mammoth SGP
Jack Eichel Over 0.5 assists
Mark Stone Over 0.5 points
Dylan Guenther Over 2.5 shots
Golden Knights vs Mammoth odds for Game 4
Moneyline: Golden Knights -115 | Mammoth -105
Puck Line: Golden Knights -1.5 (+220) | Mammoth +1.5 (-270)
Over/Under: Over 6 (+100) | Under 6 (-120)
Golden Knights vs Mammoth trend
Jack Eichel has collected four assists over his last four games in Utah. Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Mammoth.
How to watch Golden Knights vs Mammoth Game 4
Location
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Date
Monday, April 27, 2026
Puck drop
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN, Sportsnet
Golden Knights vs Mammoth latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig will have a hearing with the Department of NHL Player Safety after he sucker punched a Carolina Hurricanes player in a Game 4 loss.
During a scrum in the second period, Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker was being held in a headlock by the Senators' Warren Foegele. Greig hit Walker with an upper cut but wasn't penalized on the play.
A date and time for the hearing has yet to be announced. Any suspension would be served next season because the Senators were eliminated from the playoffs after the 4-2 loss on Saturday, April 25.
The first three games of the opening round playoff series between the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings were tightly contested.
Game 4 was anything but.
The Avalanche rolled to a 5-1 victory over the Kings to complete the sweep and punch their ticket to the second round. It marks just the third time in franchise history that the Avalanche have swept their opponent in the opening round of the postseason, with Colorado going on to win the Stanley Cup in two of those previous three seasons.
Colorado was powered by Nathan MacKinnon, who finished with three points on two goals and an assist. Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Nic Roy also scored, while captain Gabe Landeskog added two assists.
Scott Wedgewood, who started all four games in the series, turned aside 24 shots as the Avalanche completed the sweep. Anze Kopitar’s career came to an end following the loss.
First Period
The Avalanche killed off two penalties in the first half of the period after Roy and Nick Blankenburg were both called for interference, though the second penalty was, at best, a ticky-tack call.
Los Angeles also fell victim to a controversial interference call when Brian Dumoulin knocked Artturi Lehkonen down in front of the net. On the ensuing power play, MacKinnon blasted a one-timer from the left circle to make it a 1–0 game. It was the Rocket Richard Trophy winner’s first goal of the postseason and Colorado’s first power play goal of the playoffs.
At 17:58, a flurry of penalties broke out involving both teams. Jack Drury and Alex Turcotte each received minor penalties, while Samuel Helenius was assessed two separate minors along with a 10-minute misconduct. Jeff Malott was also sent off for roughing Drury during the same sequence, turning the moment into a multi-player scrum with penalties on both sides.
Second Period
Makar made it 2–0 at 5:48 when he tracked down a loose puck at the blue line, danced around Kings defenseman Taylor Ward, and snapped a wrister past Kings netminder Anton Forsberg, who made 27 saves, to double the lead. Ward tried to haul him down after realizing he was beaten but couldn’t slow him before he got the shot off.
The Kings got a lifeline with 6:17 left in the period when Joel Edmundson fired a shot through a screen by Kopitar, beating Wedgewood to cut the deficit to 2–1.
With under five minutes remaining in the second, Kadri took a series of punishing hits from Edmundson, who eliminated him against the boards.
But with Josh Manson out for an undetermined amount of time with an upper-body injury, the question remains who will step up and provide that physical edge for the Avalanche. MacKinnon certainly didn’t hesitate, delivering a heavy hit on Dumoulin at the blue line just before the end of the period.
The Kings came out with a head of steam in the early moments of the third period, desperate to avoid getting swept. Kopitar led the rush up the ice and got a shot off on Wedgewood, but the Avalanche goaltender came up with the save.
Nic Roy cashed in at 3:13 with his second goal of the series, punching home a rebound off an initial shot from Artturi Lehkonen to restore Colorado’s two-goal lead at 3–1. The play was set up by Sam Malinski, who fed Lehkonen along the right wing as the Finnish forward fought off a defender before getting the puck on net.
Just 2:48 later, Colorado added an insurance marker when MacKinnon fed Devon Toews, and the star defenseman ripped a top-shelf wrister to make it 4–1, as the Avalanche made it clear they wanted to close out the opening round with a statement win.
With the seconds ticking away, it became evident that the Kings may have traded for Artemi Panarin at the deadline just to make their annual first-round exit feel a little more expensive.
MacKinnon added an empty-net goal, and his second of the night, to make it 5-1. It was MacKinnon's 57th career playoff goal in his 99th career playoff game.
In the end, it was a championship-caliber performance from the Colorado Avalanche.
Even without their most physical presence in the lineup, every line elevated its game, every shift carried weight, and every response felt intentional. That’s what separates good teams from dangerous ones—and right now, this group looks very much like the latter.
The Avalanche will face the winner of the series between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild, with the Wild earning a 4-3 overtime victory on Saturday to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
