The LA Kings dropped their second consecutive game by a single goal, as they fell in overtime in Game 2 of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, by a 2-1 margin in Colorado.

The first period was filled with five penalties and several scrums but zero goals. Goaltender Anton Forsberg made 14 saves for the Kings, with five coming on the Colorado power play. The best Los Angeles chance in the opening 20 minutes came from forward Alex Laferriere, who had a clean look from the slot, which was denied by Avalanche netminder Scott Wedgewood, to keep the game 0-0.

The story of the second period came off the ice, as Colorado fans behind the Kings bench shattered a pane of glass, which caused a delay of nearly 20 minutes early in the middle frame. The best Kings chance came from forward Quinton Byfield, who was stoned on a penalty shot by Wedgewood with a glove save.

The Kings finally converted on the power play late in the third period to open the scoring after more than 53 minutes had elapsed. Late on the sequence, with the second unit on the ice, forward Trevor Moore fed the puck to forward Artemi Panarin in the slot. Panarin, who stayed on with both units, buried his second goal in as many games, blocker side, to give the Kings their first lead of the series.

With less than four minutes remaining, the Avalanche tied the score as their captain, forward Gabriel Landeskog, scored from close range to equalize the game at one goal apiece. After the Kings were unable to clear their zone off a faceoff, Colorado forward Martin Necas worked the puck into the crease, just beyond the pad of Forsberg, with Landeskog burying the tying goal to force Game 2 into overtime.

Just over seven minutes into overtime, Colorado scored the game-winning goal to take a 2-0 series lead to California. With the Avalanche sustaining a shift in the extra session, defenseman Josh Manson got off from the center point, which was blocked down in front, but forward Nicolas Roy got on the end of the rebound to slide the puck past Forsberg for the game-winning goal, a 2-1 victory for the hosts.

Hear from Moore, Forsberg and Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith after tonight’s Game 2 overtime defeat.

Trevor Moore

Anton Forsberg
On the disappointment in going down 0-2 after two strong efforts
It’s tough, the way it ended, both games. We’re right in there, playing well, we’re fighting, we’re fighting hard. Just got to stick with it and turn this around.

On the belief of the group heading into Game 3 on home ice
I mean, at the end of the day, we’ve got to look on how we’re playing. We believe in our plan and I mean, we’re right there with one of the best teams in the league. You’ve just got to stick with it and hopefully find a way here.

On the delay in the second period and if that impacted him at all
No, I didn’t think it changed anything in the game. We still played our game, they played theirs. It was a 0-0 game going into the third so I wouldn’t say that was a big difference.

On his mentality throughout his first two career playoff games
Yeah. I mean, it’s the same game. It is. Obviously, everybody’s trying a little bit harder, but it’s still the same game that you’re playing. It’s one puck, there’s five players on the ice and two goalies, one goalie on each team. It’s the same way. We’ve just got to do what we do and focus on that.

D.J. Smith
On the disappointment in going down 0-2, despite two strong road efforts
We’ve played two good games, tonight better than the first. We had every opportunity. We got a lead with three and whatever to go and you’ve got to be able to close it out.

On the physicality tonight and the play of his fourth line
To a man, we’re playing hard. We hoped to be split here, but regardless, we’re going to have to win at home. The fourth line was really good today. They’re physical, they stayed within the rules, they had scoring chances. We’re going to need them. For us to win this series, we’ve got to play everybody and I thought they were good tonight.

On the team’s play and how they can turn that into results at home
We did play really well and we’ll get last change and we can get our matchups a little bit better and we’re going to have to roll four lines over and be physical again. We’ve got to find a way to win a game. Clearly, good isn’t enough. We’ve got to win a game and keep taking a piece of them keep playing physical, but within the rules, and give ourselves a chance to keep lengthening the series.

On the team’s offensive chances tonight and needing to score more goals
We had some good looks. We had some guys that were in alone, I thought we really had the momentum in overtime, we were outchanging them at that point. Then, maybe a bad bounce, or a turnover, whatever, it ends up in your net. To a man, this team is playing hard and we got to find a way to win, though. Yeah, they’re a good team, but we’ve just got to do what we do. I expect us to we play two good games here and I expect that we’ll be better at home.

Notes –
– Forward Artemi Panarin (1-0=1) scored a power play goal for the second consecutive game this series, following his tally in Sunday’s Game #1. In doing so, Panarin became just the fifth player in Kings history to score on the man-advantage in each of the first two games to begin the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He joins Dave Taylor (1988), Chris Kontos (1989), Fredrik Modin (2010), and teammate Andrei Kuzmenko (2025) on that list and has the opportunity to become the first player in LA Kings history to record a postseason-opening streak of three games in length should he convert on the power play again in Game #3 on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.
– Panarin also becomes the eighth player in Kings history to score a goal of any kind in each of his first two career playoff games with the team; per NHL PR, Kuzmenko (2 GP in 2025), Troy Stecher (2 GP in 2022) and Modin (2 GP in 2010) are the only others to do so in the past 25 years.
– Forward Trevor Moore (0-1=1) recorded his first assist of the postseason. The former Denver Pioneer (2013-14 – 2015- 16) has recorded 15 points (7-8=15) in 33 career Playoff games played.
– Forward Quinton Byfield (0-1=1) notched his first assist of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a secondary helper on Panarin’s power play strike. Byfield now has 13 points (4-9=13) in 21 career postseason appearances.

The Kings will not practice tomorrow, as the team returns home to Los Angeles. The Kings will return to the ice on Thursday, April 23 at 10:30 AM for morning skate at Crypto.com Arena, in advance of that evening’s Game 3.