The Los Angeles Kings find themselves in familiar territory, facing elimination after falling behind 3-0 in their NHL playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Los Angeles enters Sunday’s Game 4 trailing three games to none in their opening-round matchup. However, the Kings have experience with this exact scenario – they overcame a similar 3-0 deficit against the San Jose Sharks during the 2014 first round before ultimately winning the Stanley Cup that year.
“You’ve got to be loose now,” said Kings interim head coach D.J. Smith. “You know the end result if you don’t win. Sometimes when that happens you grip it a little less and you make a play maybe you wouldn’t have made early on.”
Smith emphasized the importance of maintaining team unity during this challenging moment. “The No. 1 thing you can’t do is get down on yourself, get down on your team, get down on your teammates. I don’t see any of that in the room. … I don’t feel for one second that anyone in that room doesn’t think we can win our next hockey game.”
For Colorado, this marks the eighth time in franchise history they’ve taken a 3-0 series advantage. In their last three instances with such a lead, the Avalanche completed the sweep, including two occasions during their 2022 championship run.
Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on TNT.
In other playoff action, the Buffalo Sabres hold a 2-1 series edge over the Boston Bruins. Boston will attempt to prevent falling into a 3-1 hole when they return to TD Garden on Sunday. The Bruins posted a 29-11-1 home record this season, tied for the league’s best home performance, and went more than three months without a home loss.
Buffalo’s road success has been equally impressive, with their 24 away victories tied for the Eastern Conference lead.
“We’ve been a good road team. We’ve put together some really good stretches on the road where we’ve played really well,” Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff explained. “I said you’re going to get a different type of atmosphere, but just believe in the way we need to play. And I thought we executed that to a ‘T.’”
The teams received an extra day of rest following Game 3, which Buffalo claimed 3-1 to regain home-ice advantage. This playoff appearance marks Buffalo’s first since 2011, ending the longest postseason drought in NHL history.
Despite the series deficit, Boston remains optimistic after scoring the opening goal in all three contests.
“We’re a confident bunch here, and one game doesn’t change that,” Boston forward Mark Kastelic stated. “We’ll have a good two days here to reset and continue to push forward.”
That matchup continues Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
Back to the Avalanche-Kings series, Colorado has demonstrated versatility beyond their reputation for speed and offensive firepower, winning multiple low-scoring defensive battles.
“You’re comfortable winning a 1-0 game. If it’s a little bit more run-and-gun, you can do that, too,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar noted. “If it’s physical, you’re able to do that. It’s well-rounded players that can play a 200-foot game that give you the best chance to win, and we have a team full of them.”
Los Angeles has additional motivation to extend their season, as team captain Anze Kopitar plans to retire after this campaign. Meanwhile, an unnamed Avalanche defenseman has personal incentive to close out the series quickly – he was part of that 2014 San Jose team that surrendered a 3-0 lead to these same Kings.
The decisive Game 4 takes place Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In Montreal, the Canadiens lead Tampa Bay 2-1 in a series where every game has required overtime. Montreal has captured two of those extra-time contests, improving their season record to 21-6-6 in one-goal games.
The Canadiens’ fourth line contributed a plus-3 rating in Game 3, while Montreal maintains their series advantage despite their top line failing to score at even strength. Juraj Slafkovsky, skating on the first line, netted three power-play goals in the series opener’s 4-3 victory.
Tampa Bay continues to struggle with penalties and defensive breakdowns, including surrendering three breakaway opportunities Friday night. The Lightning face their potential fourth consecutive first-round elimination.
“We’ve held some pretty darn good players to limited chances in this series,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper observed. “We’re just not capitalizing the way we think we can do some things. Our execution has to be (better), we have to elevate now. And it feels like we’ve had bits and pieces of this series where we’ve been pretty darn good, and on the other side of it it’s been a struggle at times.”
That series continues Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Finally, the Anaheim Ducks have surprised many by taking a 2-1 series lead over the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. Anaheim has found the net 16 times through three games to seize control.
After four straight years of extended playoff runs, Connor McDavid and the Oilers appear fatigued and error-prone. Star defenseman Evan Bouchard has been particularly guilty of costly mistakes during Edmonton’s 7-4 Game 3 defeat.
“Any time you let in seven, it’s not a goalie problem,” Oilers defenseman Zach Hyman acknowledged. “It’s just (about) defending better. We didn’t give ourselves a chance.”
Anaheim thrives in high-scoring affairs, using their offensive talent to overcome defensive shortcomings. The enthusiastic home crowd, experiencing their first playoff hockey in eight years, provides additional energy as the Ducks attempt to push Edmonton toward their first opening-round exit since 2021.
