The Colorado Avalanche locked up the Central Division title and the top seed in the Western Conference with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
The win secured Colorado’s position atop the conference standings and clinched home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
Dallas and Minnesota will face off in the first round as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Central Division. Home-ice advantage for that series remains undecided.
The Stars currently hold a two-point lead over the Wild in the standings. Both teams have four games remaining in the regular season.
Colorado now sits six points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy. That trophy goes to the team with the best regular-season record across the entire NHL.
The Avalanche last captured the Central Division title in 2023.
This marks the third playoff meeting between Dallas and Minnesota in recent years. The teams faced off in first-round matchups during both the 2016 and 2023 postseasons.
The Stars won both previous series in six games.
