The top three teams in the NHL West Division are blazing a trail to the playoffs with 24 days left in the 56-game regular season:
Wild West: The situation in the NHL's West Division
The top three teams have all clinched a playoff spot; now it just remains to be seen what order they will finish.
April 26, 2021 at 1:10AM
Vegas: First in the West and the NHL with 70 points (34-11-2) in 47 games. Clinched a playoff spot Wednesday. The Golden Knights' current nine-game winning streak is a team record.
Colorado: Second in the West and tied for fifth in the NHL with 66 points (31-10-4) in 45 games. Clinched a playoff spot Thursday. The Avalanche is 18-2-2 in its past 22 games.
Wild: Third in the West and tied for seventh in the NHL with 65 points (31-13-3) in 47 games. Clinched a playoff spot Saturday. The Wild has won seven in a row, its longest streak this season.
LOOKING AHEAD
The playoffs' first two rounds are within the division. In the first round, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 and the No. 2 seed plays the No. 3. Vegas, Colorado and the Wild are too bunched together to determine the 1-3 order, but they have a sizable lead on the fourth-place team, which currently is Arizona with 47 points.
about the writer
To be more competitive at home against Edmonton, the Wild are focusing on details while key injured players heal.
