Game 3 Recap: Colorado takes a commanding 3-0 series lead over Los Angeles
Colorado kept on rolling, and now have a chance to close this thing out on Sunday.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 23: Anton Forsberg #31 of the Los Angeles Kings watches a shot in front of Artturi Lehkonen #62 of the Colorado Avalanche and Brian Dumoulin #2 during the first period of Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto. com Arena on April 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images After taking care of business and earning a 2-0 series lead as the games shifted into Los Angeles, the Colorado Avalanche continued to roll right along as they secured a 4-2 win over the Kings, and a 3-0 series lead with the possibility to complete the sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Let’s take a look at the action from tonight! First Period It didn’t take long for Gabriel Landeskog to get the scoring started for the Avs on a really flukey goal. Landeskog shot the puck from the top of the offensive zone, and the puck bounced off the boards, off of Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg’s skate, and into the back of the net.
With that score Colorado enjoyed a 1-0 first period lead which would carry into the first intermission. Second Period The Kings would tie the game at 1-1 early in the second period with a flukey goal of their own, as a shot deflected off of Trevor Moore, who was tied up with Josh Manson, and went into the back of the Avalanche net. Los Angeles had hope in this game for about six minutes but then Cale Makar would give Colorado the lead once again, as a seeing-eye shot found its way past Forsberg, beating him cleanly and giving the Avs a 2-1 lead, which is how the second period would end.
Third Period Early in the third period the Kings had another opportunity to tie the game with a power play but Artturi Lehkonen erased that possibility as he would make it 3-1 Colorado on a shorthanded goal, as he was able to beat Forsberg through the five-hole with Logan O’Connor streaking towards the net. Los Angeles would get another power play opportunity late in the third period, and they would convert on the opportunity for the third time in the series by pulling the goaltender to go 6-on-4. Adrian Kempe would tip the puck past Scott Wedgewood off a shot from Artemi Panarin.