Some good clubs will be out of NHL playoffs early

At least two West teams that had 100 points or more definitely will be gone after the first round because they are playing teams that also had that many points. The Colorado Avalanche rose from the dregs of a 29th-place finish last season to win the Central Division title, and the St. Louis Blues collapsed late in the regular season and lost their chance to finish atop the Central, Western Conference and the NHL overall.