The playoff field features teams located across the US and Canada, from Washington and Montreal to Winnipeg and Edmonton.

The Avalanche and the Stars will meet in the playoffs for the third time since 2020, with both teams eyeing the Stanley Cup.

If trust is a two-way street, Valeri Nichushkin needs to stop kicking Stanley Cups to the curb. “We trust him. And that’s the management, the coaches — everybody trusts him,” Avalanche defenseman Erik ...