The reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche captured the Central Division championship by winning the last game of the regular season, a result that finalized the NHL’s first-round playoff matchups.
Colorado (51-24-7, 109 points) defeated the host Nashville Predators 4-3 on Friday to edge the Dallas Stars (47-21-14, 108 points) by one point in the Central race.
The Avalanche will open the postseason against the Seattle Kraken (46-28-8, 100 points), who earned a Western Conference wild-card berth in their second season.
The Stars will oppose the Minnesota Wild (46-25-11, 103 points) in a matchup of the second- and third-place teams in the Central, respectively.