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
The three scored on their second shift together, and they are now a successful week into the change.
