The Colorado Avalanche have already secured the top seed in the Western Conference, and their sights are now set on claiming the President's Trophy, which guarantees home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. With just five games remaining in the regular season, Colorado (51-16-10, 112 points) needs just two more points to officially clinch the top spot overall.

Their first opportunity comes Thursday night when they host the Calgary Flames at Ball Arena. The Avalanche made their most recent move toward the top with a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, which not only secured the Central Division but also confirmed their hold on the Western Conference title. Colorado has been at the top of the NHL standings since December 1, and with Carolina (106 points) trailing them with four games left, their battle for the best record in the league is almost over.

"We set our goals at the start of the year, and we wanted to be on top," said captain Gabe Landeskog following the win against St. Louis. "That's a big step. We know it doesn't mean anything come playoff time, other than we get an extra game at home every series."

However, the win came at a cost. Forward Nazem Kadri suffered a finger injury when he blocked a shot during the second period and will miss some time. Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Kadri's absence but did not specify how long he will be sidelined. Kadri, who still leads the Flames in scoring after his trade to Colorado on March 6, has posted 50 points this season, including 16 goals and 34 assists. He has also added four goals and five assists in 16 games with the Avalanche.

On top of Kadri’s injury, Colorado has also been without defenseman Cale Makar, who has been recovering from an upper-body injury sustained during the team’s March 30 game against Calgary. Makar is expected to return before the regular season ends.

The Avalanche's playoff aspirations remain strong, despite these setbacks, and they are poised to enter the postseason as one of the league's most formidable teams.

Calgary (32-36-9, 73 points) was officially eliminated from playoff contention when Nashville clinched a spot Monday night, but the Flames showed resilience in a narrow 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Calgary led 3-1 midway through the third period before Dallas stormed back to steal the win in overtime.

"I liked our game," said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. "There was a lot of our game where I thought we played hard. We did a good job away from the pucks, thought we had some lengthy shifts in the offensive zone. At the end of the night, again, you're taking penalties against a very good power play. That's tough."

Calgary also dealt with an injury of its own on Tuesday night. Defenseman Kevin Bahl left the game after just two shifts due to a lower-body injury. No further updates were given on his condition.

Thursday’s game marks the second of three matchups between the teams in the span of nine days. The Avalanche and Flames previously met on March 30, and the season series will conclude Tuesday in Calgary.

For now, Colorado remains focused on securing the President's Trophy and preparing for what promises to be an exciting Stanley Cup playoff run.

-Field Level Media/Reuters