Avalanche get a pair of lucky goals and hold off Kings 4-2, taking a 3-0 series lead

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cale Makar scored the tiebreaking goal, Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche moved to the brink of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.

Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen scored on fortunate deflections for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche, who went up 3-0 in the series with another narrow win over the persistent Kings.

With Wedgewood backstopping the defense in his first playoff series, Colorado has allowed just four goals in three games by defense-minded Los Angeles, which has held superstar Nathan MacKinnon without a goal so far.

“It’s been tough sledding to create offense, but we have different guys stepping up on different nights and scoring in different situations,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “That’s been able to make the difference.”

Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe scored and Anton Forsberg stopped 19 shots, but the Kings are a loss away from being eliminated in the first round for the fifth consecutive season.

Game 4 is Sunday in Los Angeles. A loss would end the 20-year career of Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who is retiring after the season.

Los Angeles scored two goals for the first time in the series, but couldn't find a tying goal after Kempe scored on a power play with 4:03 to play. Instead, Brock Nelson scored into LA's empty net with 2:18 left.

“We’ve just got to continue to find ways to break them down,” Makar said. “I feel like tonight, we got a lot of chances and capitalized on a few. Still, I feel like there’s areas for improvement, for sure.”

Los Angeles hasn't won a playoff round in six previous tries since raising the Stanley Cup in 2014, and this loss was the Kings' seventh straight postseason defeat dating to last spring.

After grinding out a pair of 2-1 victories in Denver, the Avalanche again took care of business in LA with fundamentally sound hockey — and a good bit of luck this time.

Landeskog put the Avs ahead in the opening minutes with a fluke goal when his wrist shot hit the end boards and caromed back perfectly to deflect in off Forsberg’s skate.

Colorado then got another fortunate bounce during a Kings power play in the third period. When Lehkonen and Logan O’Connor broke out on an odd-man rush, Lehkonen’s pass deflected off the back of Kempe’s skate and ricocheted through Forsberg’s legs with 12:21 to play.

Offense remains the fatal flaw of the Kings, who were the only team in the bottom third of the NHL in scoring to make the playoffs. Los Angeles has four goals on 76 shots against Colorado.

“We've got to find ways to score,” Kings interim coach D.J. Smith said. “I mean, we had looks. You can give them credit, but we missed the net 13 times leading into the third period.”

Makar put Colorado ahead in the second, dangling just inside the blue line and firing a brilliant wrist shot through traffic. The perennial Norris Trophy candidate has 23 playoff goals — second-most among active defensemen — in 82 career games, memorably scoring eight in his Conn Smythe Trophy-winning performance during the Avs' championship run in 2022.

Colorado defenseman Josh Manson left Game 3 early with an upper-body injury. He'll be re-evaluated before Sunday, Bednar said.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Los Angeles Kings left wing Andrei Kuzmenko, right, takes the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, center reaches in while goaltender Scott Wedgewood watches during the second period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, right, celebrates his goal with center Nathan MacKinnon, left, and center Martin Necas during the second period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings left wing Trevor Moore, center, is hit in the mouth by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson, left, as he scores on goaltender Scott Wedgewood, right, during the second period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, left, and Los Angeles Kings right wing Joel Armia reach for the puck during the first period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri, right, celebrates his goal with center Nicolas Roy during the first period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves flexed even more of their defensive muscle against the flagging Denver Nuggets, seizing a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory on Thursday night.

McDaniels had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu added 25 points and nine assists off the bench, and Donte DiVincenzo had 15 points and four steals as the surging Timberwolves built a 27-point lead in the third quarter and finished with a 68-34 advantage in points in the paint.

Rudy Gobert followed his inspired Game 2 effort against Nikola Jokic by stifling the three-time MVP again on an ugly 7-for-26 shooting night, and the Timberwolves established a postseason franchise record by allowing the Nuggets just 11 points in the tone-setting first quarter.

“The shooting really put us behind the 8-ball to start the game,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “We only gave up 25 points in the first quarter. That’s actually a very good number. We just had a hard time making shots tonight. Our physicality offensively has got to get better."

Jokic finished with a too-little-too-late 27 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who were missing Aaron Gordon to a calf injury and all the energy he provides from his starting power forward spot.

“He’s the greatest offensive player I’ve guarded in my whole career,” Gobert, the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year who had 10 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, said of Jokic. “Just trying to enjoy the challenge.”

Jamal Murray had 16 points on just 5-for-17 shooting as the league's best 3-point shooting team during the regular season struggled again from deep. The Nuggets have hit 30% of their 3s in the series, going 33 for 109.

But the Timberwolves did even more damage with the ball.

“They’re kind of pushing the pace, playing faster,” Jokic said. “Don’t let us set our defense, and then just driving the ball and trying to be aggressive.”

McDaniels, who flatly answered a question about Minnesota's offensive strategy after Game 2 by labeling all of Denver's players “bad defenders,” proved to be more prescient than reckless with his assessment. Rather than irking the Nuggets, he had himself and his teammates fired up as the series shifted to their home court.

The Wolves turned loose their primary wing players — McDaniels, DiVincenzo and Dosunmu — to repeatedly attack the basket as they raced around the Nuggets at every turn in the first half on the way to a 61-39 lead.

“We're being decisive," Dosunmu said. "That's what it's all about.”

McDaniels delighted the crowd with a 3-pointer from the top of the key and a one-handed slam in traffic over Jokic and Spencer Jones down the stretch in one of his finest performances in the postseason for Minnesota. Several fans clutched signs honoring McDaniels and his blunt "bad defenders" quote, a cheeky tribute that made even the stone-faced sixth-year player smile afterward.

“I thought it was a very emotionally sound game for him," Gobert said. "That’s huge for him to just stay locked in, stay present, not getting frustrated.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the first half in Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) works toward the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) and guard Anthony Edwards (5) defend during the first half in Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15), back, is fouled by Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half in Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the first half in Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) works toward the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Julius Randle (30) defend during the first half in Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)