Colorado Avalanche eliminated: Fans left in shock as defending champions crash out

The Colorado Avalanche have been eliminated from the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs after the Seattle Kraken beat them 2-1 in Game 7 at the Ball Arena on Sunday to win the series 4-3.

It has been an incredible fairytale story for the Seattle Kraken, who are only in their second season. They have caused a huge upset in the 2023 NHL playoffs, beating the reigning champions in the first round.

The Colorado Avalanche had entered the 2023 playoffs as one of the favorites but failed to defend their crown, eliciting reactions from fans. One said:

How the Seattle Kraken-Colorado Avalanche playoff series panned out?

Defending champions Colorado Avalanche entered the 2023 playoffs after clinching the top seed in the Central Division. Kraken, meanwhile, entered the contenst as the first Wild Card team from the Western Conference.

The series would turn out to be one of the best in the competition, featuring hard-fought matchups. The Avs had home ice advantage. Seattle upset the defending champions in Game 1, beating them 3-1 for their first playoff win. Colorado made a great comeback in Game 2, winning 3-2, to level the series.

The third game of the series was moved to the Climate Pledge Arena. This time, the Avs again came out on top, beating the Kraken 6-4 to secure their first road victory to take the series lead.

Game 4 was an OT thriller, with Seattle Kraken making a comeback, thanks to Jordan Eberle scoring the winner to make it 2-2. Game 5 of the series was on the home ice of the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. The Avs again fell short, losing 3-2 to trail 3-2 in the series.

Seattle was one game away from eliminating the Avs from the playoffs, but the Avs made secured Game 6 4-1 to take the series to a decider. Seattle, though, got the job done in the final game of the series, winning 2-1 to advance to the next round.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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