LA Kings lose to the NHL best Colorado Avalanche as playoffs look dim, Coach Hiller fired- March 2026
Avalanche Take Control, Top Kings 4–2
The Colorado Avalanche continued their dominant 2025-26 season with a 4–2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena, extending their hold on the best record in the NHL and reinforcing their status as favorites to go all the way this spring.
Colorado wasted no time asserting themselves. Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring at just 4:27 of the first period, burying his league-leading 41st goal of the season on a slick 2-on-1 feed — a reminder of why he’s once again an MVP favorite. Shortly after, Gabriel Landeskog extended the lead with a blistering one-timer for a 2–0 advantage.
This game was notable as the first under interim head coach D.J. Smith, who was promoted when the Los Angeles Kings fired head coach Jim Hiller on March 1, 2026 after a downturn in form and a slide out of playoff position. General manager Ken Holland made the change hoping Smith could spark a turnaround for a team that had lost five of its past six games before the coaching decision.
Kings Battle Back, Youngsters Shine
Despite the early deficit, Los Angeles responded. Brandt Clarke cut the lead in half on the power play late in the first period, and then Angus Booth, one of three rookies making his NHL debut for the Kings, tied the game with his first NHL goal at 8:32 of the second. Booth, along with fellow debutants Kenny Connors and Jared Wright, was pressed into action as the Kings dealt with an unusually depleted roster due to injuries and illnesses.
The Kings were missing several key contributors, including Quinton Byfield (upper-body), Drew Doughty (lower-body), Trevor Moore (illness), and goalie Darcy Kuemper (illness), all of whom were sidelined for various reasons.
Late Game Seals It for Colorado
With the game tied at 2–2 deep into the third period, Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews took over. He scored the go-ahead goal with just 4:55 remaining, finishing off a crisp feed from MacKinnon to break the deadlock. Colorado then iced it with an empty-net goal by Martin Nečas in the final seconds to make it 4–2.
Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 19 of 21 shots, while Kings netminder Anton Forsberg made 35 saves in spite of the loss.
Colorado also suffered a late setback, as forward Artturi Lehkonen left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss time.
What It Means
This game underscored the gap between the two clubs at this point in the season. The Avalanche improved to 40–10–9, the first team in the NHL to reach 40 wins, and remain firmly atop the standings as Stanley Cup favorites. Meanwhile, the Kings — now under interim coach D.J. Smith — showed resilience and promise from their young debutants but continue to battle injuries and inconsistency.
For more on the Los Angeles Kings, visit the official team site at https://www.nhl.com/kings.