NHL snapshot: Avalanche, McDavid
The Colorado Avalanche clinched the Western Conference No. 1 seed in recent action, a development that reshapes first-round matchups for the playoffs. (x.com). Separately, Connor McDavid recorded a goal in his team’s latest game, keeping him centrally involved as his club chases postseason positioning. (x.com)
Colorado just locked up the top seed in the Western Conference, and one game changed the shape of the playoff bracket. The Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Tuesday, April 7, to clinch both the Central Division title and the West’s No. 1 spot. (nhl.com) That means every Western Conference team now knows the road to the Stanley Cup Final runs through Colorado’s side of the bracket. The Avalanche reached 112 points at 51 wins, 16 losses, and 10 overtime losses after that win in St. Louis. (media.nhl.com) The top seed matters because the National Hockey League playoff bracket is built like a ladder. Finish first, and you draw a wild-card team in the first round instead of opening against another division winner or a top-two rival. (nhl.com) Colorado earned that edge by looking like a complete team in April. Valeri Nichushkin scored twice, Martin Necas added another goal, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 18 shots in the clinching win over St. Louis. (apnews.com) Coach Jared Bednar was already looking past the banner and toward the bigger prize. After the game, he said Colorado still wanted one more win to chase the National Hockey League’s best overall record. (nhl.com) The Avalanche have been parked near the top for months, not just for a week-long hot streak. National Hockey League media notes said Colorado and the Carolina Hurricanes were the only teams to spend 100 percent of game days in a playoff position this season. (media.nhl.com) While Colorado was sealing one side of the bracket, Connor McDavid was still dragging Edmonton through a tight race on the other side. McDavid scored a goal and added an assist on Tuesday, April 7, in the Oilers’ 6-5 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth. (nhl.com) That single point from the overtime loss still mattered for Edmonton, because playoff positioning often turns on one standings point, not just wins and losses. The Oilers’ own game coverage said they remained atop the Pacific Division after taking that overtime point in Utah. (nhl.com) McDavid’s role in that chase is not subtle. His National Hockey League player page lists him at 43 goals and 126 points in 77 games this season, which keeps him at the center of nearly every Edmonton scoring push. (nhl.com) His recent run has been just as loud as the season totals. Before the Utah game, McDavid had already scored in games against the Seattle Kraken on March 31 and the Anaheim Ducks on March 28, and he reached his 400th career goal against Utah on March 24. (nhl.com) So the Western Conference picture now has two clear pressure points. Colorado has secured the safest opening path available, while Edmonton is still fighting for the best possible lane behind a captain who keeps showing up on the scoresheet. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) If the bracket holds, Colorado enters the playoffs with home ice and a first-round matchup against a wild-card opponent. Edmonton enters with less certainty, which is why every McDavid goal in April feels less like a highlight and more like a standings update. (media.nhl.com) (nhl.com)
