Avalanche Takes Charge Against Kings with Strong Defense

The Colorado Avalanche didn’t need their top stars to light up the scoreboard in Game 3—they just needed to play smarter and tougher than the Los Angeles Kings. While L. A. fired off shots early, Colorado’s disciplined defense and sharp goaltending kept the Kings from turning pressure into goals. Artturi Lehkonen’s lucky deflection sealed the 4-2 win, but the real story was how the Avalanche relied on depth plays over flashy stars. Lehkonen’s shorthanded goal at the end of the third period wasn’t pretty—it ricocheted off a Kings defender and trickled past Anton Forsberg—but it showed how luck favors those who grind hardest. Meanwhile, Scott Wedgewood, one of the NHL’s best goalies this season, turned away 24 shots, proving again that strong goaltending beats desperate attacks. The Kings, despite outshooting Colorado, couldn’t solve him.Cale Makar’s goal in the second period came from pure teamwork—Lehkonen stripped the puck from Drew Doughty, and Makar wired a shot past Forsberg after dancing through traffic. It wasn’t a highlight-reel play, but it was the kind of smart hockey that wins in the playoffs. Captain Gabriel Landeskog added an early goal, his second in two games, showing how the Avalanche’s depth keeps them dangerous even when stars struggle. L. A. ’s lone even-strength goal came from Trevor Moore, who redirected a rebound after a chaotic shift. But their power play—once a strength—has been their downfall, scoring only once in three chances. Meanwhile, Colorado’s defense, led by Makar and Devon Toews, stayed structured even when down a man, limiting the Kings to just one real chance. The Avalanche’s lead in the series is now 3-0, and Sunday’s Game 4 could be a formality. While their top scorers like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar haven’t lit up the box score, they’ve done the little things—screening shots, battling in corners—that matter most in tight games. The Kings, on the other hand, need to fix their power play fast or risk going home early.