The April 5, 2025 showdown between the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center is more than just a Central Division clash — it’s a playoff tone-setter between two teams heading into the season’s final stretch with very different arsenals, but similar levels of urgency. Colorado comes in with a 45-26-3 record and is trending in the right direction at precisely the right time, going 10-2-2 in March and making a strong push toward securing a top seed in the Western Conference. They’ve been one of the NHL’s most balanced teams all year, boasting elite offense, strong goaltending, and special teams that punish mistakes. On the other side, the Blues — sitting at 41-28-7 — are surging as well, posting a red-hot 12-2-1 record in March and playing like a team that nobody wants to face in the first round. Despite being underdogs in this matchup on paper, St. Louis has made a habit this season of frustrating more skilled opponents with physicality, opportunistic scoring, and just enough goaltending to steal points. What makes this matchup particularly compelling is how well it sets up as a contrast in styles: Colorado’s speed and finesse vs. St. Louis’ grind-it-out, blue-collar brand of hockey. From an offensive standpoint, the Avalanche hold a significant edge. Averaging 3.62 goals per game, they have one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league, and they’ve been particularly dangerous on the power play, converting at a lethal 30% clip. Nathan MacKinnon continues to be the centerpiece of the attack with 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists), and he’s flanked by a deep cast of contributors, including Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Colorado doesn’t rely on just one line to generate scoring — they roll four lines effectively, and their puck possession metrics are among the league’s best. Defensively, they’ve been just as stingy, allowing only 2.34 goals per game while posting an 84.8% success rate on the penalty kill.

This two-way dominance has allowed the Avs to dominate at 5-on-5 and use their special teams to extend leads or claw back when behind. Their 20-15-1 road record also shows they’re not fazed by hostile environments, and with their recent play indicating playoff-mode activation, they’ll enter this game as the clear favorite. St. Louis, however, thrives on being overlooked. With a solid 41-28-7 record, the Blues have been quietly climbing the standings and are one of the NHL’s hottest teams coming into April. Their March run — 12 wins in 15 games — was fueled by clutch scoring from Jordan Kyrou (29 goals, 30 assists) and a no-nonsense approach that emphasizes strong forechecking and physical zone entries. They’re averaging 2.91 goals per game, which isn’t dazzling, but they’re opportunistic and capitalize on defensive lapses. The concern lies in their penalty kill, which ranks near the bottom of the league at 72%. Against a Colorado team that punishes penalties, that could spell disaster if they don’t stay disciplined. Defensively, they’ve held opponents to 2.96 goals per game, relying on solid — if unspectacular — goaltending to weather storms. At home, the Blues are confident, and their physical style tends to wear down even skilled teams. If they can avoid getting into a track meet and instead grind the game into a physical, low-event affair, they’ll give themselves a chance to steal a win and keep climbing the playoff ladder.