Avalanche Clinch Presidents' Trophy with 3-1 Win Over Flames

The Colorado Avalanche secured the National Hockey League's top regular-season record and the Presidents' Trophy with a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night in Denver, earning home-ice advantage throughout the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Nathan MacKinnon capped his career-high season by scoring his league-leading 52nd goal into an empty net with 55 seconds remaining, while adding two assists in the win. Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for Colorado, which improved to 52-16-10 with 114 points in 78 games. The result clinched the Central Division, Western Conference and overall league titles for the Avalanche, marking the fourth time in franchise history they have won the Presidents' Trophy, previously in the 1996-97, 2000-01 and 2020-21 seasons.

MacKinnon assisted on Landeskog's power-play goal in the first period and set up Necas for a 2-0 lead late in the second. Calgary's Tyson Gross scored his first career NHL goal with 2:52 left in regulation to pull the Flames within one, but the Avalanche challenged Gross's second tally moments later, successfully negating it for offside. Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves in net for Colorado, which was missing...