Avs, Kings game delayed after fans shatter glass

While the game was paused, ESPN color commentator and former Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson asked Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog about the situation.

“Never there,” Landeskog said. “You’ve seen it from slap shots and maybe hard hits in the corners, things like that, but never like that… Fans got a little too excited maybe.”

The game was locked in a 0-0 stalemate at the time of the incident as Los Angeles and Colorado looked for a win that would either allow the Kings to steal home ice advantage or give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead heading to Southern California.

Game 1 was also a close, defensive battle between the two foes, ending with a 2-1 Colorado victory after a furious push by the Kings to erase a two-goal deficit in the final minutes fell short. Artturi Lehkonen and Logan O’Connor found the back of the net for the Avs, while Artemi Panarin delivered Los Angeles’ lone goal.

Goalies Anton Forsberg and Scott Wedgewood held up well in Tuesday’s game until the third period, when Panarin struck first before Landeskog answered to send Game 2 to overtime.

Colorado is looking to break the Presidents’ Trophy curse and win the second Stanley Cup of the Nathan MacKinnon era after capturing the 2022 title.

The Kings, on the other hand, may not be thrilled to meet up with the Presidents’ Trophy winners, but they’re certainly glad to see anyone other than the Edmonton Oilers, who knocked them out in the first round four years in a row prior to this season.