Avalanche clinch Central title to lock in Stars-Wild 1st-round matchup

The Colorado Avalanche clinched the Central Division and the top seed in the Western Conference with a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

The result locks in a first-round matchup between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Central, with home-ice advantage for the series still to be determined. The Stars have a two-point lead over the Wild in the standings with four games remaining for both teams.

Colorado leads the Carolina Hurricanes by six points in the race for the Presidents' Trophy, awarded to the club with the best regular-season record.

The Avalanche last won the Central in 2023.

Dallas and Minnesota have met twice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, facing off in the first round of the 2016 and 2023 postseasons. The Stars took both series in six games.