The Avalanche decided that the best way to ring in the new year was to ensure their spot atop the Central Division, Western Conference, and NHL was as secure as possible.
After defeating the St. Louis Blues 6-1 on Wednesday, the Avs opened up a 10-point lead on the second-place Dallas Stars, who fell 4-1 to the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the day.
The top 3 teams in the league all still play in the Central Division.
The Avalanche have opened up a 10-point lead on the rest of the league with games in hand pic.twitter.com/Ojse4UNhdz
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) January 1, 2026
Jared Bednar’s club has all sorts of first-place finishes for the calendar year. Dating back to Jan. 1, they had the most points, the most goals for, fewest goals against, most wins, fewest losses, and Nathan MacKinnon recorded the most goals and points.
Still, Bednar said Wednesday morning that the word he’d use to describe 2025 was disappointing. Because when the games mattered in the playoffs, Colorado was ousted in seven games by Mikko Rantanen and the Stars.
That’s why this 10-point cushion matters. That’s why they want to ensure they keep that top seed all the way through the playoffs. Not only does home-ice advantage matter, but so does avoiding a first-round matchup against either Dallas or the Minnesota Wild.
It also helps to build those habits from the get-go.
REA MORE: Postgame Wrap: Avalanche Put 6 Past Binnington, Blow Out Blues at Ball Arena
