NHL: Avalanche blank Kraken, set franchise record for points

Scott Wedgewood made 22 saves to earn his 12th career shutout, while Parker Kelly and Nick Blankenburg scored to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-0 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. The win capped off the regular season for both teams.

Valeri Nichushkin contributed two assists for Colorado (55-16-11, 121 points), which set a franchise record for points in a season. The Avalanche's 55 victories are just one shy of the 2021-22 team, which recorded 119 points on their way to winning the Stanley Cup.

Wedgewood's shutout was his fourth of the season. His 2.02 goals-against average and .921 save percentage are both league-leading, cementing his place among the NHL's elite goaltenders.

Victor Ostman made 33 saves for Seattle (34-37-11, 79 points), but the Kraken suffered their third consecutive loss. Seattle's late-season struggles continued, as they finished with just three wins in their final 16 games (3-11-2).

During the second period, Anaheim's win over Nashville determined Colorado's first-round playoff opponent. The Los Angeles Kings secured the second wild-card spot, setting up a playoff matchup with the Avalanche for the first time since 2002. Game 1 of the series will take place on Sunday afternoon in Denver.

Colorado rested several key players ahead of the postseason, including Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, both of whom were healthy scratches. Nazem Kadri (finger), Gabriel Landeskog (lower body), and Josh Manson (upper body) were also sidelined.

MacKinnon finished the season with an NHL-best 53 goals in 80 games and ranked third overall in points with 127. He joins Milan Hejduk as the only players in franchise history to win the Rocket Richard Trophy.

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, sporting a black eye, returned to the bench after missing Colorado's two-game road trip to Edmonton and Calgary. Bednar was injured when a puck struck him in the right cheek during a game against Vegas on Saturday, causing facial fractures and a corneal abrasion.

Blankenburg opened the scoring with a goal at 17:38 of the second period, giving Colorado a 1-0 lead after his initial goal was erased due to an offside challenge from the Kraken. Kelly sealed the win with his 21st goal of the season at 12:19 of the third period.

The Avalanche now look forward to their upcoming playoff series against the Kings, while the Kraken begin their offseason after a tough finish to the regular season.

-Field Level Media/Reuters