Golden Knights sweep Avalanche to reach Stanley Cup Final

The Vegas Golden Knights have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in franchise history, eliminating the Colorado Avalanche with a 2-1 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on 27 May 2026. The win constitutes a series sweep, ending the playoff campaign for the league’s top seed and Presidents’ Trophy champions.

Mark Stone opened the scoring, marking his second goal in two games since returning from injury. Cole Smith doubled the lead 14 minutes and 15 seconds into the third period, securing the decisive margin. The victory sends the Golden Knights to the championship series, where they will face the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens.

Vegas goaltender Carter Hart managed a significantly reduced workload compared to previous rounds, facing only 14 shots entering the third period and just one shot in the first 10 minutes of the final frame. The Golden Knights maintained a 50% shot share entering the third period, a marked improvement from their 42.31% share in the series prior to Game 4.

The Avalanche struggled to generate offence, with Gabriel Landeskog and Nazem Kadri being the only top-six forwards to score against Vegas in the series. Valeri Nichushkin sat out due to injury, and captain Nathan MacKinnon may not have been at full strength after blocking a shot with his knee in Game 3. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made his first start since Game 5 of the conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Wild.

Head coach John Tortorella described the first three rounds as preliminary, stating that the "real stuff" of the playoffs begins with the championship series. The Avalanche are now left to address roster constraints, with projections indicating less than $3 million in cap space for the upcoming summer.