The Colorado Avalanche’s path in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs is set. Thursday night’s action settled the path the Avs will need to go through in order to get to the ultimate prize: A Stanley Cup championship.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the path that lies ahead for the Avalanche. While much of the path seems eerily familiar, it could certainly take an interesting detour along the way.
First round – LA Kings
The Avalanche’s path begins with a bit of a different foe. The Avs will face the LA Kings in the first round of the 2026 NHL playoffs. The matchup will take place as Colorado clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, with the Kings squeaking into the postseason as the second wild card team.
It’s been a while since the Avalanche and Kings have faced one another in the playoffs. The first time the two clubs met was in 2001 when Colorado downed LA in the second round. That season, the Avs went on to win their second Cup in franchise history.
The second time they met was the following season. Again, the Avs took the series in seven. The Avs came close to a second-straight Stanley Cup Final appearance. However, the Avs fell to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Final.
That’s 24 years since the last time these two clubs met. And much like the first two times, the expectation is that the Avalanche will down the Kings. The Avs swept the season series, winning all three matchups between the two clubs.
So, it seems the Avalanche are on a good path to make it to the second round. The Avalanche have taken a 3-0 series lead following a tight win in Game 1.
The Avalanche followed that up with an overtime win in Game 2, and then a convincing 4-2 win in Game 3. Game 4 on Sunday could be the Kings' final chance to extend the series.
UPDATE: The Avalanche defeated the LA Kings 5-1 on Sunday, completing the sweep. They now await the winner of the Dallas-Minnesota series. Meanwhile, the Avs got plenty of high praise following the win.
Second round – Minnesota Wild or Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild series has to be this season what the Stars-Avalanche series was last year. This series could easily be a conference final. And it’s a good thing these two clubs are meeting in the first round. The series could well do the distance, and will be a war of attrition. Whoever comes out of this series could be depleted, making them an easier foe for the Avalanche.
Based on the season series, it’s tough to pick an opponent. The Avs tied the season series with both teams. But if recency bias is any indication, Colorado would fare well against either club. The Avs won their last meeting against both teams, suggesting that a second-round meeting might not be as complicated as initially thought.
There is a clear opportunity here for the Avalanche to make it to the Western Conference Final, where they could run into a familiar adversary. As it stands, the Wild and Stars are in a war of attrition, with the series tied at two and looking more like it'll be going to seven games.
UPDATE: The Wild got a big 5-2 win in Game 6 to defeat the Stars 4-2. The Wild will now face Colorado in the second round. The Avalanche got past the Wild in five games, capped off by a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory in Game 5.
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