The Colorado Avalanche aim to achieve something that has eluded teams for a decade this playoff season: winning both the Stanley Cup and the Presidents’ Trophy. Only once since the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks has a team managed to pull off this feat. This upcoming series against the Los Angeles Kings will be pivotal.

The Avalanche dominated the regular season, finishing with 121 points and suffering only 16 regulation losses. Nathan MacKinnon had a stellar performance, leading the NHL with 53 goals, while Cale Makar consistently contributed 79 points from the blue line. An experienced roster that lifted the Cup recently, Colorado’s goaltending has improved significantly this year, thanks to Scott Wedgewood, who was the league leader in goals allowed per game at just 2.02.

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Meanwhile, the Kings had a challenging season, managing only 90 points, the least among the 16 teams in the playoffs. To have any chance of upsetting the heavily favored Avalanche, they will need a robust defensive strategy, having recorded the seventh-fewest goals allowed in the league.

The Kings faced the Avalanche three times this season, failing to secure a single point and being outscored 13-5.

There’s a notable contrast in coaching experience in this matchup; Jared Bednar has established himself with the Avalanche, while the Kings currently rely on interim coach D.J. James, who stepped in for Jim Hiller.

The Avalanche remain strong favorites in this series, with betting odds ranging from -450 to -600, while the Kings are noted as underdogs at +340 to +450. Finally, as history suggests, if the Avalanche are to falter after claiming the Presidents’ Trophy, it’s more likely to happen later into the playoffs. Bet on the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs using the FanDuel promo code.