Rinkside Recap: Scott Wedgewood shines in Game 1, Avs win 2-1

Apr 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images DENVER, CO — Ball Arena was the stage, and playoff hockey was the entertainment, and we were not disappointed in the slightest . The arena and its patrons started in a frenzy, and as Gangsters Paradise rang out, the frenzy built into downright bedlam as the white pom poms flew.

Let it begin! #GoAvsGo pic. twitter.

com/xubSQ3tuet — Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) April 19, 2026 With three Stanley Cup banners wading in the noise, the Colorado Avalanche began their journey toward hopefully adding to the collection with the LA Kings standing in their way as first-round foe. Will the Presidents’ winning Colorado Avalanche assert their dominance, or will LA prove pesky early in round one? The Game From puck drop, one thing was made very clear: the Avalanche were prepared and ready to get off on the right foot.

The pressure on the Kings’ netminder, Anton Forsberg, built and built; however, the Avalanche couldn’t cash in. The Kings created a flurry of chances of their own late in the first frame, but a bit of puck luck and mostly stellar play from Wedgewood kept things tied at one. A no-goal first period is likely exactly what the LA Kings players and staff had in mind, so I’d count that as a win for LA in period one.