Moments later, Nathan MacKinnon hit another gear, slicing through defenders before setting up Artturi Lehkonen on the doorstep… only for the puck to clang off iron like it owed him money. Full Arnold Schwarzenegger, terminator-level post.

Late-game pressure broke the Kings. With under a minute to go, Nelson retrieved a loose puck behind the net and fed Landeskog in the slot. This time, no mistake—glove side, game over.

Landeskog finished with three points (2G, 1A), Nelson added two, and Roy chipped in with the opener. Wedgewood stopped 21.

Game 2 — Avalanche 3, Kings 2

Colorado controlled the pace early but found themselves trailing after Taylor Ward cleaned up a power-play scramble midway through the first.

The response came quickly—and bizarrely.

Kuemper mishandled a routine puck in his crease, chaos followed, and Nelson capitalized with a slick backhand to tie it.

The second period belonged to Colorado. After Brian Dumoulin took a penalty, Martin Necas hammered home a power-play goal to make it 2–1. The Avs dominated possession, outshooting the Kings 25–11 through two.

Kuemper, to his credit, kept Los Angeles alive with several massive saves, including a rocket from Cale Makar.

Kopitar tied it again early in the third on a power-play one-timer, because of course he did.

But once again, Colorado had the final word.

Ross Colton forced a turnover, Nic Roy picked it up, and Colton spun and fired past Kuemper in one motion. Clinical. Decisive.

Blackwood stopped 18, and the Avalanche took a 2–0 series lead.

Game 3 — Avalanche 2, Kings 1 (OT)

Los Angeles struck first, capitalizing on a 2-on-1 as Kempe set up Brandt Clarke to beat Wedgewood.

From there, it became a goaltending duel.

Colorado dominated stretches of the second, but Kuemper refused to break—until Sam Malinski burst in on a breakaway and slipped a backhand home late in the period to tie it.

The third period? Pure chaos disguised as control. Both goalies traded highlight-reel saves.

Then overtime delivered the madness.

Scott Laughton nearly ended it for L.A., but Wedgewood pulled off a save that defied both physics and basic human expectation.

Moments later, the Kings went on the power play—but it backfired spectacularly.

Cale Makar won a race to the puck, fed Logan O’Connor in the slot, and O’Connor buried the shorthanded winner.

Ballgame. Series stranglehold.

Wedgewood was unreal, stopping 38.

Game 4 — Avalanche 1, Kings 0

This one was tight. Suffocating, even.

Both teams traded chances, but nothing got through—until the final seconds.

With just 21 ticks left, Nelson forced a turnover at center ice and sent Landeskog flying down the wing. One shot. One finish.

That was it.

Four games. Four wins. Series over.

Let’s Be Real

Nathan MacKinnon going an entire series without a goal? Not happening in any known universe. The simulation clearly has a personal vendetta.

But if there’s one takeaway here, it’s this: Colorado’s depth, structure, and late-game execution completely overwhelmed Los Angeles.

Now, reality steps in.

Game 1 hits Sunday at Ball Arena.

And unlike the simulation… this one counts.

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