The Colorado Avalanche now officially know their rival for the Western Conference Final. The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, setting up a clash with the Avs in the third round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The clash is mildly surprising, particularly when considering most would have picked the Edmonton Oilers to make it to the conference final.
However, it was the Golden Knights who earned the spot from the Pacific Division side of the bracket. The Golden Knights sealed their ticket after notching a 5-1 win over the upstart Ducks, taking the series 4-2.
The matchup will feature an interesting clash between two veteran teams. The Avalanche and Golden Knights have plenty of experience and Cup pedigree on their side. Both clubs have proven to be resilient and have outlasted some tough opponents.
While the Ducks and the Utah Mammoth are good, young clubs, they don’t stack up nearly as well as the Avalanche do. That’s why facing Colorado will be the toughest test for the Golden Knights in this postseason.
As for Colorado, the prospect of facing Vegas shouldn’t be as daunting as it was facing the Minnesota Wild. The Wild were a Stanley Cup contender and a much better regular-season team than Vegas.
That’s why there’s reason to believe the Golden Knights could be the irresistible force that meets the immovable object. Vegas will look to grind down the Avalanche, a team that has already beaten two teams trying to grind out series wins.
It seems that the Avalanche’s depth will once again play a massive role in ensuring they make it to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
In the meantime, both clubs will have a few days off in between games. Game 1 between the Golden Knights and Avalanche is scheduled for next Wednesday night at Ball Arena. Like the previous series, the key for Colorado will be to take the first two games at home before heading to Sin City for Games 3 and 4.
Add us as a preferred source on Google