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How Oilers can avoid playing Avalanche in NHL's Western Conference playoffs first round
TL;DR
The Edmonton Oilers aim to avoid facing the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the NHL's Western Conference playoffs. They have control over their playoff positioning to achieve this goal.
Key points
- Oilers want to avoid facing Avalanche in playoffs
- They control their own playoff destiny
- Oilers have already secured a playoff spot
Edmonton OilersColorado AvalancheNHL
How Oilers can avoid playing Avalanche in NHL's Western Conference playoffs first round originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
If there's one thing the Edmonton Oilers likely would want to avoid in the first round of the NHL's Western Conference playoffs, it'd be a matchup with the powerful Colorado Avalanche.
So on the final day of the regular season Thursday, it's worth figuring out how the clinching scenarios can prevent that.
The good news for the Oilers is that they control their own destiny in this regard.
They're already in the playoffs, and it's a simple path toward avoiding Colorado.
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How Oilers avoid Avalanche in first round of playoffs
The Oilers need to secure just a single point on Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
A win, or an overtime loss, pushes the Oilers for sure into the Pacific Division 2-3 seed matchup. That's because they enter the night a point ahead of the Anaheim Ducks and two ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.
The Oilers would also avoid the Avalanche if both the Kings lose to the Flames and the Ducks lose to the Predators.
Q&A
What do the Oilers need to do to avoid the Avalanche in the playoffs?
The Oilers must secure specific clinching scenarios on the final day of the regular season to avoid a matchup with the Avalanche.
Why is avoiding the Avalanche important for the Oilers?
The Avalanche are considered a powerful team, and facing them in the first round could pose a significant challenge for the Oilers.
Are the Oilers already in the playoffs?
Yes, the Oilers have already clinched a playoff spot.