Avalanche's Logan O'Connor: Surprise Game 1 hero

O'Connor scored the game-winning goal Sunday during the Avalanche's 2-1 victory over the Kings in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Analysis:

The 29-year-old winger missed most of the regular season after undergoing hip surgery last June, and he didn't score a goal while adding just two assists over 13 games once he finally made his 2025-26 debut in late March. In fact, O'Connor's last tally was also a playoff game-winner, as he opened the scoring in a 4-0 win over the Stars in Game 4 of the first round last year. O'Connor produced a surprising two goals and six points in that seven-game series before Colorado's elimination, and he may be gearing up to provide some valuable secondary scoring once again despite his bottom-six role.