Avalanche Dominate as They Head into 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a Bang

Avalanche Dominate as They Head into 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a Bang

The Colorado Avalanche enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference, having secured the Presidents' Trophy for the fourth time in franchise history. Despite a mid-season dip, the Avalanche finished the campaign strong, going 3-0-1 in Week 25, bringing their overall record to 53-16-11. In their final two games, the Avalanche face the Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken, both positioned at the bottom of the standings, with a chance to break their single-season franchise points record of 119. Notable accomplishments this week include: Nathan MacKinnon, the 2024 Hart Trophy winner, leads the NHL with 52 goals and ranks third with 126 points. The team managed to perform well even without Cale Makar, who is expected to return from injury soon. Other teams making headlines include: Carolina Hurricanes (3-0-1; 52-22-7): Secured the Metropolitan Division title with strong performances from Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Buffalo Sabres (3-0-0; 50-23-8): Clinched their first division title since 2009-10, powered by Tage Thompson’s scoring. Dallas Stars (4-0-0; 49-20-12): Rebounded from a slump to secure second place in the Central Division. Montreal Canadiens (3-1-0; 48-23-10): Finished the season strong, with Nick Suzuki reaching 101 points. Conversely, teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs (0-4-0) and Chicago Blackhawks struggled, failing to win a game in Week 25. As the playoffs approach, the power dynamics within the league continue to shift, setting the stage for an exciting postseason.

Source: CBS Sports - 2026-04-14