The Colorado Avalanche will be looking to put the kibosh on their first-round series against the LA Kings in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Game 3 saw a major change. The return of Ross Colton to the lineup in place of Joel Kiviranta made a positive impact on the Avalanche’s overall play. Colton didn’t spend a ton of time on the ice, skating for just 8:22 over 16 shifts.
The move dropped Parker Kelly to the fourth line, leaving him and Jack Drury to skate under 10 minutes on the night.
On Saturday, Colton was candid about leaving the lineup. He was unhappy about it. But judging from the eye test alone, it looked like Colton hit the ice inspired for Game 3.
More coming later but Ross Colton was very honest this AM about being scratched the first two games.
— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) April 25, 2026
"It sucks, honestly. That was the first time I've ever really been scratched."
Bednar was happy with his response, and Colton admitted he was nervous stepping in mid-series.
That’s something that should carry over into Game 4. With Colton in the lineup, the forward groups should look like this:
- Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Necas
- Colton-Nelson-Nichushkin
- Landeskog-Kadri-Roy
- Kelly-Drury-O’Connor
Kiviranta -13th forward.
Defense should see a key change
On the defense, Avalanche fans should see a key change. As Evan Rawal reported, Josh Manson is unlikely to play on Sunday.
Bednar says Josh Manson is “unlikely” to play tomorrow, saying he’s sore. They’re prepared to put Nick Blankenburg in if Manson can’t play.
— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) April 25, 2026
Manson looks to be a game-time decision. But given how well Blankenburg has played. Plus, seeing the 3-0 lead and just the overall situation, the Avalanche might not take any chances. It would make sense to play it safe and sit Manson.
The hope here would be for the Avalanche to win the game, end the series, and use the extra days to recover from whatever ailments could be affecting Manson or any other Avalanche player.
That said, if and when Manson comes out of the lineup, there will surely be a cascading effect on the overall lineup.
Here’s a look at what the defense pairings could look like:
- Toews-Makar
- Burns-Malinski
- Kulak-Blankenburg
The third pairing could get some heavy-duty in a shutdown role. But then again, this pairing is worth keeping an eye on. Blankenburg has a decent offensive upside. And since the Kings have bet on the Avalanche’s depth beating them, well, Blankenburg would be a perfect candidate to step up and bury the Kings.
As for goaltending, the easy bet would be to see Scott Wedgewood get the call on Sunday. But there might be a chance MacKenzie Blackwood gets the call, considering that the series and the need for Blackwood to get some reps.
Again, the obvious choice is to go with Wedgewood. The idea of giving Blackwood the start, nonetheless, would help give Wedgwood some much-needed time off. When considering that a win on Sunday could give the Avs about a week off, it would make sense to give Blackwood the call.
The Avalanche will get an early start, hitting the ice at 2:30 PM MST.
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