Colorado Avalanche @ Los Angeles Kings - April 12, 2025

Alright, folks, gather ’round! It’s that time of year again when we get to lace up our skates (or at least wear our lucky jerseys) and dive headfirst into the electrifying world of NHL hockey. This Saturday, we’ve got a thrilling matchup as my beloved Colorado Avalanche take on the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. And let me tell you, this one is going to be an edge-of-your-seat showdown.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Oh no, not another biased fan!” But hear me out—this isn’t just about team colors; it’s about stats too! The Avalanche come in with a record of 48-28-4 and have shown glimpses of brilliance throughout the season. Unfortunately, they hit a rough patch lately, losing six out of their last seven games against the spread and falling flat on their faces in their last outing against the Canucks. Ouch! But don’t count them out just yet—they are still capable of surprising us all.

On the flip side, we’ve got the Kings with an impressive 45-24-9 record. They’ve been red-hot recently with five wins in their last six games—and let’s face it, that victory against Anaheim was downright dominating! Not only did they light up the scoreboard to win 6-1 at home, but those who put their faith in them on the moneyline were cashing in big time.

Let’s dig into some numbers here because they can tell quite a story. The Kings average around 2.9 goals per game with a shooting percentage hovering just below 11%. Their power play could use some work though; at only 16.9%, they’ll need to sharpen those sticks if they hope to capitalize on any man advantage opportunities against Colorado’s shaky penalty kill (which is sitting at a rather disappointing 79.7%).

Now onto Colorado—while they boast slightly better offensive stats with an average of over 3.3 goals per game and a solid power play percentage north of 24%, they haven’t managed to find that groove lately. They’ve gone under in six of their last eight games which might indicate that they’re struggling offensively or simply trying to tighten things up defensively after allowing four goals to Vancouver.

As we break down this matchup further, it becomes clear: while I’m rooting for my Avs all day long (and yes—I’ll be sporting my lucky jersey), I think Los Angeles has the upper hand here tonight based on current form and confidence levels. That said, don’t expect a high-scoring affair; both teams have shown tendencies towards lower totals lately.

So here’s how I’m calling it: LA edges out Colorado for the win tonight—just enough skill combined with momentum should do it! However, I do believe our Avs will cover that spread (fingers crossed!). And as for Over/Under? Lock it in for under—these two squads seem more focused on defending than lighting up the scoreboard right now!

Let’s go Avs! But may the best team win! See you at Crypto.com Arena! 🏒💙