Nearly two weeks after clinching the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, the Avalanche concluded the regular season on Friday night and can now solely focus on the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Avs rested six regulars against the Minnesota Wild and lost 4-1 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. The Wild jumped to a 3-0 lead and went on to clinch home-ice advantage against the St. Louis Blues in a first-round series.
Colorado’s first-round opponent, the West’s No. 8 seed, is either the Nashville Predators or Dallas Stars, both Central Division rivals. Dallas defeated Anaheim on Friday night to jump up to the No.