Avalanche Sweep Kings 5-1 in Game 4

Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and added an assist to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 on Sunday, completing a sweep of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The win marked the end of Anze Kopitar's 20-year NHL career, as the Kings captain announced his retirement last September. The Slovenian center, who holds the franchise record for most goals and points, earned two Selke Trophies as the league's top defensive forward and played pivotal roles in Los Angeles' Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014. He had served as captain for the past decade. As the final minutes ticked away in the lopsided loss, Kings fans chanted "Kopi! Kopi!" and gave Kopitar standing ovations during his last two shifts. After the game, Avalanche players greeted him warmly during the handshake line, and Kopitar took a lap at center ice with his arm raised as his teammates banged their sticks in tribute.

Colorado, the NHL's top regular-season team and Presidents' Trophy winner, controlled the series from start to finish, outscoring Los Angeles 16-4 across four games. The Avalanche never trailed in the clincher,...