The Los Angeles Kings broke out new silver lids and third jerseys Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena — but it was the Colorado Avalanche who stole the spotlight, the points, and the soul of the home opener. The Avs rolled into LA, shrugged off a sluggish start, and buried the Kings 4-1 in a game that started like a coronation and ended like a wake.
This was supposed to be a celebration. Anze Kopitar’s final home opener. A new look. Fresh energy. Instead, it turned into a clinic — and a reminder that the Avalanche still have that championship DNA.
Martin Necas scored twice, Sam Malinski notched a goal in his 100th NHL game, and Scott Wedgewood turned aside 24 of 25 shots in goal. Colorado didn’t just beat the Kings — they dismantled them, shift by shift, after weathering LA’s early adrenaline rush.
For about ten minutes, it looked like LA might actually have something cooking. Quinton Byfield was buzzing, Trevor Moore had the jets on, and newcomer Jeff Malott brought the energy of a guy who drank three Red Bulls and a Monster before puck drop.
The Kings threw the first punches — literally and figuratively. Malott scrapped with Josh Manson after a heavy hit on Warren Foegele, sending Crypto.com Arena into an early frenzy. LA outshot Colorado in the first half of the opening period, blocked five shots, and looked like a team intent on spoiling a banner night for the Avs.
But momentum in hockey is fickle. You blink, and it’s gone.
Colorado’s top six decided they were done playing nice.
Barely a minute into the second period, Martin Necas ripped a right-circle wrister past Darcy Kuemper off a silky feed from Nathan MacKinnon. The assist gave MacKinnon his 1,016th career point — passing Joe Sakic for the most in Avalanche history since the team’s relocation to Colorado. That’s not just trivia; that’s legacy unfolding in real time.
Four minutes later, Sam Malinski — in his 100th career game — threw a puck through traffic from the left point that found twine. A couple of deflections, a screen, and suddenly it was 2-0 Avs. The air went out of the building faster than a flat tire on Figueroa.
By the midway point of the period, LA’s defensive zone looked like an open house — plenty of space, zero resistance. Artturi Lehkonen crashed the net for Colorado’s third goal, cleaning up a rebound and effectively breaking the Kings’ spirit before the third period even started.
Stat nerd note: according to Natural Stat Trick, Colorado doubled LA’s overall scoring chances and tripled their high-danger looks in the second period. Translation — it was a massacre.
By the time the Kings found their legs again, they were already down 3-0.
Colorado kept its foot on the gas. Necas added a power-play goal early in the third to make it 4-0 — his second of the night — and you could practically hear the collective sigh from the Kings bench.
Scott Wedgewood, meanwhile, played like he was trying to steal someone’s job. Calm, composed, and occasionally acrobatic, he denied every Kings push with a glove that might as well have been a magnet. He finished with 24 saves on 25 shots, his lone blemish coming late when Kevin Fiala finally broke through on a Kings power play.
Fiala’s goal salvaged a little dignity and extended Anze Kopitar’s streak of registering points in home openers to eight straight seasons. A small silver lining in an otherwise gray night.
There was a bittersweet undercurrent to the night. Kopitar, the face of the franchise for nearly two decades, had announced before the season that 2025-26 would be his last. This was his final home opener in front of the LA faithful — a crowd that’s seen him lift Cups, rewrite record books, and quietly define an era of Kings hockey.
He didn’t disappoint entirely — picking up the assist on Fiala’s late goal — but you could tell the emotion of the moment lingered. When the game ended, he lingered on the ice just a bit longer than usual, saluting the crowd as the Avs celebrated in the background.
Afterward, head coach Jim Hiller kept it real:
“That was not a good game for us, but I don’t want to take away from how well Colorado played. Let’s give them credit. We need to play better than we did.”
Translation: the Avs are just on another level right now, and LA’s margin for error is nonexistent.
For Colorado, this was the kind of game you circle when people ask, “Are the Avs still that team?” The answer is yes. When their big guns get rolling, they’re a problem for anyone — and the defensive structure looked as airtight as it’s been since their Cup run.
For LA, this was a reality check. The Kings want to be in the mix with the Western elite, but Tuesday showed they’re still a few weight classes below Colorado when it comes to pace and execution. The defense was porous, the offense lacked finish, and the power play (until garbage time) was flatter than a warm Coors Light.
There were positives — Byfield’s energy, Malott’s physicality, and flashes of chemistry on the fourth line — but moral victories don’t count in the standings.
The Kings came out looking like a team ready to make a statement. The Avalanche responded like a team that already has one carved in stone.
Colorado left Crypto.com Arena with a 4-1 win, a new franchise milestone for MacKinnon, and a reminder that the road to the Cup still runs through the Mile High.
As for the Kings? They’ll lick their wounds, shine those new silver helmets, and hope the next game brings more bite than bling.
Because on Tuesday night, the Avalanche didn’t just spoil the party — they redecorated the place.
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