Colorado Avalanche Looks to Extend Lead While Los Angeles Kings Fight to Stay in Playoff Race

The Avalanche brings the NHL's best record into Los Angeles on Monday night. Colorado sits atop the league standings with a 39-10-9 mark, while the Kings fight to maintain their playoff positioning at 24-21-14.

The Kings face a daunting task against the dominant Avalanche while managing a lengthy injury report. Six Los Angeles regulars will miss the 10:30 p.m. ET puck drop at crypto.com Arena due to various ailments. Colorado enters the matchup riding momentum from a 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday. The Avalanche plan to use the same lineup that secured that win.

Nation MacKinnon Leads League-Best Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon continues his Hart Trophy caliber season with 97 points, leading an Avalanche roster loaded with offensive firepower. The center skates between Gabriel Landeskog and Martin Necas on the top line. Cale Makar anchors the Colorado blue line alongside Devon Toews.

The reigning Norris Trophy winner provides elite two-way play that fuels the Avalanche attack from the back end. Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to start in goal for Colorado. The netminder has been instrumental in helping the Avalanche build the league's best record through 58 games.Los Angeles will be without Trevor Moore and Darcy Kuemper due to illness. Drew Doughty remains sidelined with a lower-body injury while Joel Armia deals with an upper-body issue.

Andrei Kuzmenko is out with a meniscus injury and Kevin Fiala continues recovering from a fractured leg.The Kings will give Kenny Connors his NHL debut in the midst of their injury crisis. The forward was recalled from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League on Sunday and will skate on the fourth line. Erik Portillo was also summoned from the AHL to back up Anton Forsberg with Kuemper unavailable. The emergency recalls demonstrate the depth of challenges facing Los Angeles.

The Avalanche can extend their lead atop the Western Conference with a victory. Colorado has separated itself from the pack through dominant play on both ends of the ice.But while the Avs are looking to continue their dominant run atop the Central Division, the Kings are desperately trying to hang onto the playoff race. With Los Angeles sitting sixth in the Pacific Division race, winning this game is crucial for them.Newly acquired Artemi Panarin is expected to hold the Kings’ offense while the duo of Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe would look to provide support for the first line. With this being the Kings’ captain’s last season in LA, a victory over the dominant Avalanche will give them a much-needed boost for the remaining home stretch.