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04/07 21:50 CDT Avalanche beat the Blues 3-1 to clinch Central Division and top seed in the Western Conference Avalanche beat the Blues 3-1 to clinch Central Division and top seed in the Western Conference By JOE HARRIS Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) --- Valeri Nichushkin scored twice and Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Tuesday night to clinch the Central Division and the top seed in the Western Conference. It is the third time in five seasons, and first since 2023, that the Avalanche finished as the top team in the conference. Martin Necas also scored and Scott Wedgewood made 18 saves for Colorado, which has earned points in eight of its last 11 games. Wedgewood was shaken up midway through the third period after Philip Broberg made contact with him after being tripped by Sam Malinski. Wedgewood was driven awkwardly into the post and stayed down for several minutes, but remained in the game. Robert Thomas scored and Joel Hofer made 34 saves for the Blues, whose slim playoff hope took a hit with the loss. Colorado outshot St. Louis 17-3 in the first period and had a two-goal lead as a result. Nichushkin gave the Avalanche the lead with 3:49 left in the first and Necas made it 2-0 with 27.7 seconds left in the period, scoring off a feed from Nathan Mackinnon feed. Nichushkin added to the Colorado advantage with a short-handed goal at the 1:40 mark of the second. It was Colorado's second short-handed goal of the season and first since November 8. Thomas got the Blues on the board with 4:22 left in the second. It was the sixth goal in the last four games for Thomas, who had a hat trick against Colorado on Sunday. Nicholas Roy returned to the Colorado lineup after missing seven games to an upper-body injury.

Up next Avalanche: Hosts Calgary on Thursday night. Blues: Host Winnipeg on Thursday night. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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