Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves in his first career playoff start and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in the opening game of their best-of-seven first-round series Sunday in Denver.
Artturi Lehkonen and Logan O’Connor scored for the Avalanche, who had the league’s best record and are the Western Conference’s top seed.
Artemi Panarin got the goal for the Kings, who are the eighth seed and had the lowest point total of all 16 playoff teams. Anton Forsberg, who also started his first playoff contest, stopped 28 shots.
Panarin spoiled Wedgewood’s shutout attempt with a 6-on-4 power-play goal with 2:22 left. Panarin scored on a screened shot from the high slot.
Lehkonen gave Colorado a 1-0 lead with 4:31 left in the second period when he put in the rebound of his own tip attempt.
O’Connor made it 2-0 5:50 into the third period. He picked up a loose puck in the top of the right circle, skated in and beat Forsberg high on the short side.
An apparent goal by O’Connor 6:46 into the middle period was immediately waved off due to the call of goaltender interference by Jack Drury, who went into Forsberg after colliding with defenseman Drew Doughty. Colorado coach Jared Bednar challenged that Doughty sent Drury into Forsberg but the call was upheld.
Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin was helped off the ice a little more than six minutes into the second after blocking O’Connor’s shot.
Wedgewood stopped Trevor Moore, who charged in from the blue line, on a semi-breakaway with about three minutes left in the first and Doughty shot wide on a backhand with an open net seconds later.
The Avalanche had the first four shots. The Kings’ first came 6:42 into the game, by Adrian Kempe from the right circle off the rush.
Colorado did not have a shot during a power play in the middle of the period.
