The Avalanche have staked their claim as the best team in the playoffs with a four-game sweep in the first round, demolishing the Los Angeles Kings right into the offseason. The team played well but lacked in certain areas – a recipe that needs to improve if they hope to hoist the ultimate trophy in a few series’ time.
Although they were lacking, they still dominated a lesser Kings team, and one future Hall of Fame player noticed. In his final press conference, Kings legend Anze Kopitar called the Avs a championship level team and noted they were a team that can win games playing their C+ level, or just average, game.
"I thought we were a good team, but that's a championship contending team in Colorado & they win games whether they're playing an A+ game or a C+ one, & that's what they did."
— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) April 27, 2026
Anze Kopitar on the Colorado Avalanche pic.twitter.com/TNvMgCuZXZ
As Kopitar is a Stanley Cup-winning player himself, having earned two Stanley Cups while playing in Hollywood, his words hold some credence regarding the Avalanche’s chances this June.
What Kopitar really was alluding to was the fact that the common assumption about the Avalanche is their big stars are the ones who will carry them to beat another team. With players like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Marty Necas and the like, one can understand why this is a common assumption.
What Kopitar is also saying, and is more flattering than complimenting the team’s stars, is that the supporting cast has been excellent – something necessary to win the Stanley Cup.
The team has had championship-caliber goaltending this season. Scott Wedgewood, sensational all season, has continued his stellar play, allowing only five goals in four games these playoffs. Wedgewood had a .950 save percentage in the series. He has amassed 101 saves thus far.
The team received plenty of depth scoring this series as well. They had goals from eight different scorers throughout the series, including two each from third-liners Nicolas Roy and Captain Gabriel Landeskog. Fourth-liner Logan O’Connor scored, as did defense-first Devon Toews.
Neither trade deadline acquisition Nazem Kadri nor superstar Martin Necas scored goals for Colorado this series, an ominous thought for either Dallas or Minnesota next round. If the Avalanche can get these players going, there won’t be a break for any opponent.
The Avalanche didn’t execute at an elite level on special teams this series either. Both their penalty kill and power play were middle of the pack, surprising as the penalty kill was excellent during the regular season.
The team still has plenty of room to improve. It’s clear Kopitar was right, as the burgundy and blue were not at their most effective during this series, yet still were able to dominate and move on – earning some deserved rest, which should help against a tired team in their next series.
With players at all levels of the lineup scoring, the team playing well defensively, and a goalie standing on his head, Avalanche Nation must be champing at the bit to move through these playoffs. We won’t touch the money quite yet, but this team has as good an opportunity as any other to host a parade in downtown Denver come June.
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