The know all about coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the .
The Kings in their first-round series heading into Sunday’s Game 4. Los Angeles was down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2014 postseason before rallying for the win.
They went on to capture the Cup.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be loose now,鈥� Kings interim coach D.J. Smith said. 鈥淵ou know the end result if you don鈥檛 win. Sometimes when that happens you grip it a little less and you make a play maybe you wouldn鈥檛 have made early on.
鈥淭he No. 1 thing you can鈥檛 do is get down on yourself, get down on your team, get down on your teammates. I don鈥檛 see any of that in the room. 鈥� I don鈥檛 feel for one second that anyone in that room doesn鈥檛 think we can win our next hockey game.鈥�
Colorado leads a series 3-0 for the eighth time in franchise history. The last three times the Avalanche advanced in four games, including twice during their 2022 Cup run.
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
When/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 2 p.m. EDT (TNT)
Series: Sabres lead 2-1
The Bruins will try to avoid a 3-1 deficit when they get back on the TD Garden ice against the Sabres on Sunday. The Bruins were 29-11-1 at home this season 鈥� tied for the most home wins in the league 鈥� going more than three months and 13 games without losing in Boston.
The Sabres’ 24 away wins were tied for the most in the Eastern Conference.
鈥淲e’ve been a good road team. We’ve put together some really good stretches on the road where we’ve played really well,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “I said you’re going to get a different type of atmosphere, but just believe in the way we need to play. And I thought we executed that to a 鈥楾.鈥欌��
The teams had an extra day off after Game 3, which to reclaim the home-ice advantage it earned by winning the Atlantic Division for its first playoff berth since 2011 鈥� a drought that is the longest in NHL history.
The Bruins feel like they’re on the right track after scoring first in all three games.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a confident bunch here, and one game doesn鈥檛 change that,” Boston forward Mark Kastelic said. “We鈥檒l have a good two days here to reset and continue to push forward.鈥�
Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings
When/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. EDT (TNT)
Series: Avalanche lead 3-0
Known for their speed and scoring, the Avalanche have shown their defensive prowess, too, by winning a pair of low-scoring games.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e comfortable winning a 1-0 game. If it鈥檚 a little bit more run-and-gun, you can do that, too,鈥� Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 physical, you鈥檙e able to do that. It鈥檚 well-rounded players that can play a 200-foot game that give you the best chance to win, and we have a team full of them.鈥�
The Kings have added incentive to prolong the season 鈥� Anze Kopitar. The Kings captain is set to retire after the season.
And Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns has an added incentive to end it quickly: He was on the 2014 Sharks team that blew a 3-0 lead to the Kings.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
When/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Series: Canadiens lead 2-1
All three games of the series have gone to overtime, with the to improve to 21-6-6 in one-goal games this season.
Montreal鈥檚 fourth line was a plus-3 in Game 3 and the Canadiens are ahead in the series despite not getting a 5-on-5 goal from their top line. Juraj Slafkovsky, who is on the No. 1 line, had three power-play goals in the series-opening 4-3 victory.
The Lightning are beating themselves with penalties and defensive lapses, including three breakaways on Friday night. They have to figure it out quickly or they鈥檒l be heading toward their fourth straight first-round exit.
鈥淲e鈥檝e held some pretty darn good players to limited chances in this series,鈥� Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just not capitalizing the way we think we can do some things. Our execution has to be (better), we have to elevate now. And it feels like we鈥檝e had bits and pieces of this series where we鈥檝e been pretty darn good, and on the other side of it it鈥檚 been a struggle at times.鈥�
Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks
When/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 9:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Series: Ducks lead 2-1
The two-time defending Western Conference champion Oilers appear to be in a bit of trouble against the upstart Ducks, who have scored 16 goals in the first three games to seize the series lead.
After four consecutive years of long springs stretching into summer, Connor McDavid and his teammates have looked weary. They鈥檝e made far too many mistakes in their own zone, with star defenseman Evan Bouchard standing out for his giveaways and errors in the
鈥淎ny time you let in seven, it鈥檚 not a goalie problem,鈥� Oilers defenseman Zach Hyman said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just (about) defending better. We didn鈥檛 give ourselves a chance.鈥�
The Ducks are comfortable playing firewagon hockey as a mediocre-to-poor defensive team with the talent to outscore its mistakes, particularly with the backing of its frenzied home crowd at Orange County鈥檚 first playoff hockey in eight years. The fans will be fired up again when the Ducks attempt to push Edmonton to the brink of its first opening-round exit since 2021.
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AP Sports Writers Greg Beacham, Pat Graham and Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
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