Sports
Avs to put 'dangerous' offense up against upset-minded Kings
Apr 7, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) celebrates with center Nathan MacKinnon (29) after scoring against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The Colorado Avalanche are prohibitive favorites in their first round Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, which begins with Game 1 on Sunday at Denver.
The Avalanche (55-16-11, 121 points) won the Presidents’ Trophy as the team with the best regular-season record. They also led all teams with 302 goals and have a gallery of stars led by NHL-leading goal scorer Nathan MacKinnon, who tallied 53 times on the season and finished with 127 points.
Colorado’s Martin Necas reached 100 points (38 goals, 62 assists), while defenseman Cale Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, had 20 goals with 59 assists.
Colorado’s calling card is a relentless attack with speed and skill.
“We’ve always been a dangerous offensive team, whether we’re finishing top five in the league, usually because of some of the players that we have and the way we play and the style we play,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “We tend to create a lot of offense, so that’s something we’ve been proud of over the years.”
Goalies Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood shared the William M. Jennings Trophy, which is awarded to the goaltenders who play at least 25 games for the team allowing the fewest goals each season. Colorado gave up 203.
The Kings (35-27-20, 90 points) have the fewest points among the 16 playoff teams but came alive late by going on eight-game point streak (6-0-2) before dropping their season finale. Los Angeles scored 225 goals but allowed 247.
These are the Stanley Cup playoffs, though, when first-round upsets have become legendary.
“They have the good players; they finished first in the regular season but we’re a scrappy team. We keep it close with everybody and that can really frustrate them,” Los Angeles defenseman Brandt Clarke said. “If we play our style, it’s going to be a tight series, it’s going to be tight games, so we’re looking forward to it.
“In the playoffs it comes down to that, it comes down to one shot. You never know which way it’s going to go. We have the utmost belief in our group of guys that we can pull off anything.”
Colorado’s production goes well beyond MacKinnon, Necas and Makar. Brock Nelson had 65 points (33 goals, 32 assists) and Nazem Kadri, who was acquired at the trading deadline from the Calgary Flames, had a combined 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists).
Kings coach D.J. Smith, who took over on an interim basis March 6 when Jim Hiller was fired, knows what his team must do to have a chance.
“We’re going to have to weather the storm,” said Smith, who played 34 of his 45 career NHL games with the Avalanche in 2002-03. “There are going to be times when they’re really going to come at us.
“They have five, six, seven of the best players in the world over there, but the one thing we’ve always been able to do is play defense. We’re going to have to defend real hard and then when we get opportunities we’re going to have to sting them.”
Kings forward Artemi Panarin delivered 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) for his new team in 26 games after he was acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4. Adrian Kempe had 73 points (36 goals, 37 assists), and Quinton Byfield had 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Luke Keaschall powers late rally as Twins dump Mets
Apr 21, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (15) hits a RBI single in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Luke Keaschall’s second RBI single of the game snapped a ninth-inning tie Tuesday night and helped the visiting Minnesota Twins rally past the slumping New York Mets 5-3.
In losing its 12th straight game, New York coughed up a 3-0 lead as closer Devin Williams melted down during the top of the ninth. Williams (0-1) didn’t retire any of the five hitters he faced, walking three.
That included Matt Wallner, whose free pass with the sacks filled forced Ryan Jeffers home with an insurance run, inspiring angry boos from the listed crowd of 32,798 as Mets manager Carlos Mendoza hooked Williams.
Minnesota’s bullpen retired all 12 hitters it faced. Cole Sands (1-1) pitched the last two innings to earn the win, fanning Tyrone Taylor for the last out.
Needing something good to happen early in the opener of its nine-game homestand, New York got it in the bottom of the third. Mark Vientos led off with a single and was forced at second on Carson Benge’s grounder.
Benge swiped second and Marcus Semien walked. After working a full count, Lindor crushed a 3-2 offering an estimated 410 feet into the second deck in right field. It was his second homer and quadrupled his RBI total from one to four.
Nolan McLean mowed down the first 15 hitters he faced before finding trouble in the sixth. Wallner broke up his perfect game with a leadoff single and trotted home with two outs when Byron Buxton lofted a two-run homer, his fourth of the year, just over the leaping Benge and over the left field wall.
Minnesota equalized an inning later when Kody Clemens lined a double to right and scored on Keaschall’s line-drive single to center. One out later, McLean was gone after fanning 10 in 6 2/3 innings while permitting five hits and three runs.
Keaschall’s hit got Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson off the hook after he pitched five innings, yielding four hits and three runs with three walks and two strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
'We're right there': Ducks hungry to even series with Oilers
Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Matt Savoie (22) with center Connor McDavid (97) attempt to stop Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry (19) in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images After feeling like they let a win slip from their grasp in the series opener, the Anaheim Ducks will try to regroup for Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
The Oilers took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series on Monday when they scored twice in the final nine minutes to rally back for a 4-3 win in Edmonton.
Edmonton had blown a 2-0 lead when it surrendered three goals in the second period.
“It’s unfortunate the result of that game, and it’s going to be tough to swallow, but we’ve got to put it behind us,” Ducks forward Troy Terry said. “We kind of got our feet under us, and we’re into this thing now.”
Terry had two goals and an assist in his first playoff game in his ninth year in the NHL. Leo Carlsson contributed a goal and an assist.
Terry, Carlsson and rookie Beckett Sennecke combined to take 21 of Anaheim’s 28 shots on goal in Game 1.
The Ducks could use better performances from their most veteran players, however.
Chris Kreider had a turnover in the neutral zone that led to the second goal by Edmonton; Radko Gudas fell while skating backwards defending a rush, leading to the third goal; and Jacob Trouba lost track of Kasperi Kapanen on the go-ahead goal with 1:54 left.
Alex Killorn also committed the only two penalties by Anaheim.
“I thought, as a group, we proved to ourselves, we’re right there,” Terry said. “These little mental mistakes can sway a series one way or the other.”
The Oilers benefited from secondary scoring in the Game 1 win.
Kapanen, who scored twice, is a second-line wing, and Jason Dickinson, who scored the other two goals, centered the third line.
“Just very important for this team,” Kapanen said of the secondary scoring. “And other guys stepping up and making big defensive plays that you don’t really see on the highlight reel, but that are just as important.”
The Oilers welcomed back forward Leon Draisaitl for Game 1 after he missed the final 14 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, and he contributed two assists in the win.
Draisaitl had 97 points in 65 games during the regular season.
“I felt OK,” Draisaitl said. “Certainly going to take a couple games to really be myself and really trust myself again, but for a start, I thought it was OK.”
Just as Draisaitl was returning, however, Edmonton forward Adam Henrique left in the first period with a lower-body injury after colliding shin-on-shin with a teammate.
“We will find out (Tuesday) how long he will be out,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “We will miss him.”
The Oilers still have Connor McDavid, however, and he’ll be extra hungry after going without a point for just the 15th time in 83 games this season and the first time in a victory.
McDavid, who led the NHL with 138 points during the regular season, has only been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games once this season.
“Connor is going to get his chances and get his looks, and we’re not worried about that,” Kapanen said.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LAFC, Rapids have quick turnaround to brush off losses
Apr 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Football Club forward Denis Bouanga (99) takes a shot at goal during the match against San Jose Earthquakes at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images After a week of highs and lows, Los Angeles FC are set for another midweek match when they play host to the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday.
LAFC (5-2-1, 16 points) advanced to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals last Tuesday but will enter off a 4-1 home loss to the upstart San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday. LAFC were steamrolled by a barrage of second-half goals in the defeat.
“I have been here many times praising us but (Sunday) was not good,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “We have to take the game as a lesson and move forward. If I only talk about tiredness (from Champions Cup), that’s an excuse. It was not good. We have to see why and try to improve on Wednesday.”
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris not only gave up his first goals of the season to end a 593-minute scoreless streak, Heung-Min Son remains without a goal through his first seven league games. Son does have two goals in Champions Cup play.
Denis Bouanga leads the club with four goals and has four assists in MLS play, while Son has seven assists.
The Rapids (4-4-0, 12 points) had their inconsistencies on full display in a 3-2 home loss to Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami on Saturday. Colorado forced the action but Messi scored twice, including the game-winner in the 79th minute.
“I saw a team that performed like a big team with a proper mentality with a huge personality,” Rapids head coach Matt Wells said, while looking at the positives after his team had 15 shots to five for Miami. “… That gives me massive hope that if we keep building and stick on this path, it won’t be long before you’re asking me a question about us being the top team around Vancouver and LAFC.”
Dynamic on offense this season, Colorado’s 21 goals are second most in league play, one behind the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps.
Rafael Navarro leads the Rapids with six goals and four assists, including a goal on Saturday.
Colorado’s loss to Inter Miami came in front of a crowd of 75,824 at the home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, the second-largest to watch a match in MLS history. It came one week after a resounding 6-2 home victory over the Houston Dynamo when Navarro scored twice.
But while the offense has been solid, the Rapids have allowed 15 goals, with only three Western Conference teams allowing more.
–Field Level Media
Luke Keaschall powers late rally as Twins dump Mets
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