Avalanche Turn Chances Into Goals Against Kings
MacKinnon buries his looks while Makar and Kadri feed the finishers; Kuemper can’t find answers as a Byfield post looms large.
Los Angeles had more attempts and long spells of pressure, but Colorado turned the better looks into goals. The Avalanche created more expected goals — a measure of how dangerous chances are — at 3.51 to 3.09, and they cashed them for an 8-4 win.
This was about finishers meeting setup men. Nathan MacKinnon struck twice on eight shots, Artturi Lehkonen added two more, and Brock Nelson chipped in a three-point night. Behind them, Cale Makar and Nazem Kadri each had two assists, repeatedly springing shooters into prime lanes.
Goaltending swung the math further. Goals saved above expected — how many a goalie prevents compared to the quality he faced — painted a split: Darcy Kuemper finished at -4.64, while Mackenzie Blackwood sat at -0.93. Put plainly, Colorado’s chances went in; Los Angeles’ didn’t go in enough.
There was a what-if: Quinton Byfield rang iron on a prime look. The Kings had the volume, but the Avalanche owned the chances that count.