Colorado Avalanche clinch Western Conference top seed against St Louis Blues
The Colorado Avalanche have clinched the Central Division and the Western Conference number one seed following a 3-1 victory against the St Louis Blues on Tuesday.
Head coach Jared Bednar immediately shifted his focus towards securing the Presidents’ Trophy to guarantee home-ice advantage throughout the play-offs.
The Denver-based franchise currently boasts a formidable 51-16-10 record, amassing 112 points with five regular-season fixtures remaining.
“We’re not all the way there yet. Like, we’d be crazy not to chase that at this point, right?”
Jared Bednar
Chasing overall supremacy
Curiously, the 2022 Stanley Cup champions possess a stronger away record than their home form at Ball Arena this campaign.
Despite a remarkable 27-7-5 mark on the road, goaltender Scott Wedgewood believes securing home-ice remains a critical post-season advantage.
“Just atmosphere, altitude… you’re in your own bed the night before. You’re able to knock a team out in five or six, you’re home for that many more days.”
Scott Wedgewood
Play-off pedigree
This marks the third occasion in five seasons that the franchise has finished as the premier team in the West.
Memories of their 2022 triumph, which followed a similar top-seed finish, will undoubtedly fuel their current quest for hockey’s ultimate prize.
However, Bednar has demanded greater consistency from his squad as they navigate the final stretch of the regular season.
“I don’t have to see it for 60 minutes for every game the rest of the way, but we need to see it enough to secure our goal and making sure everyone’s confident in the way we play.”
Jared Bednar
Maintaining momentum
Wedgewood remains deeply optimistic about the squad’s character heading into the elimination stages.
The experienced netminder insists the team’s locker room culture is a driving force behind their sustained success.
“It’s a great group, a hungry group. And it’s obviously fun to be part of that room, and keep hearing music at the end of every game.”
Scott Wedgewood
