The Colorado Avalanche are heading into a long offseason after being swept out of the Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights.
According to ESPN, the Avalanche had won the Presidents' Trophy this season, meaning they finished the regular season with the best record in the NHL. Despite that distinction, they were unable to win a single game in the conference finals against Vegas.
A sweep at this stage is a sharp ending for a team that had been considered one of the top contenders in the league. Winning the Presidents' Trophy carries no playoff advantage beyond seeding, and the Avalanche's exit is one of the more striking collapses of this postseason.
The Golden Knights, meanwhile, advance and will play for the Stanley Cup. Colorado will now turn its attention to the offseason with questions about how a team with the league's best regular-season record was eliminated in four straight games.
