The Associated Press

Milan Hejduk and Peter Forsberg made it an award-winning Sunday for the Colorado Avalanche, and a total downer for the Vancouver Canucks.

The NHL regular season came to a close with Hejduk scoring his league-best 50th goal and Forsberg using a three-point rally to capture the Art Ross Trophy as the top scorer.

It all added up to a Northwest Division title for the Avalanche, who won 25 of their last 37 games to leapfrog the Canucks and capture their NHL-record ninth straight division crown. That snapped a tie with the Montreal Canadiens, who won eight straight from 1975-82.

The day started so well for the Canucks and their top point-getter, Markus Naslund. The forward entered Sunday's games with 48 goals, one fewer than Hejduk - and 104 points, one more than Forsberg.

Most important, the Canucks were one point ahead of the Avalanche and needed just a tie or overtime loss to win their division for the first time in a decade. Instead, Naslund had his first pointless game in eight contests, the Canucks lost 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings, and the Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 5-2 to take the Northwest.

Forsberg, with a goal and two assists Sunday, finished with 29 goals and 77 assists and became the first Swedish-born player to win the Art Ross. Forsberg had the most assists in the NHL since Jaromir Jagr had 83 for Pittsburgh in the 1998-99 season.

The Avalanche, who moved to Colorado after winning the Northeast Division as the Quebec Nordiques in 1994-95, won Pacific Division titles from 1996-98. They have won the Northwest five times.

So instead of a first-round matchup against the Minnesota Wild, the Canucks will take on the experienced Blues. Colorado will play postseason-newcomer Minnesota in its opening series.

The other series in the West will pit top-seeded Dallas against No. 8 Edmonton. The Stars and Oilers are meeting in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years. Both teams missed the postseason last year to break up the trend.

"Here we go again," Stars captain Derian Hatcher said.

Edmonton has the unenviable chore of facing Stars goalie Marty Turco, who wrapped up the season with his seventh shutout that dropped his goals-against average to 1.72, lowest in the NHL's modern era.

"This has certainly been a magical year, for the team and for myself," Turco said. "I couldn't have asked for a better night - or a better regular season."

Turco came in with a GAA of 1.75, already lower than the 1.77 set by Chicago's Tony Esposito in 1971-72. He chose to play instead of protecting his mark on the final day.

The Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings earned the No. 2 seed as the Central champs and will play Anaheim in a best-of-seven series. The Mighty Ducks are one of six teams to make the playoffs this season who weren't there last year.

"They will be excited to play us, because last time they beat us," Detroit forward Sergei Fedorov said. "I think they've got a pretty good team. I think we need a quick start."

Detroit lost out on a chance to earn the top seed in the West by losing to Chicago in overtime on Sunday.

In the East, the Ottawa Senators had Sunday off, but they already knew who their first-round opponent would be. That was cleared up Friday when the New York Islanders clinched the NHL's final playoff spot and earned a meeting with the league's top team.

Ottawa is the fifth different Presidents' Trophy winner in five years. Detroit and Colorado, the previous two winners, went on to capture the Stanley Cup.

The Islanders closed their regular season with a 2-1 win over Carolina, which went from Eastern Conference champion to the NHL's worst team. New York enters the postseason with just one win in six games (1-4-1).

The New Jersey Devils edged the Philadelphia Flyers in the Atlantic Division to earn the No. 2 seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Boston. Philadelphia will take on Toronto in a 4-5 series.

The Devils and Flyers, however, finished tied in allowing a league-low 166 goals. So they will share the Jennings Trophy, which goes to goalies who played at least 25 games for the team with the fewest goals against.

Martin Brodeur played 73 games for the Devils, and Roman Cechmanek was in Philadelphia's net 58 times, with backup Robert Esche playing 30. The Flyers also were involved in the last tie for goals-against honors in the 1974-75 season.

In a series pitting the top two teams in the Southeast Division, Tampa Bay - a first-time division winner - will face the Washington Capitals. The Lightning finished with 93 points to edge Washington by one.

Two things that weren't cleared up at the end of the regular season were whether the long careers of Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier also were finished. Lemieux dropped hints that his career was done by using several sticks in his final game and reflecting on the past.

But no decision was made for Lemieux, who had 28 goals and 91 points.

Messier, 42, wouldn't comment at all on his future Sunday as the Rangers, the team with the NHL's highest payroll, cleaned out their lockers following a team-record sixth straight season out of the playoffs. Messier said he hasn't decided whether to return for a 25th NHL season.

Playoffs at a glance

All Times EDT

FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Ottawa vs. N.Y. Islanders

Wednesday, April 9

N.Y. Islanders at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 12

N.Y. Islanders at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Monday, April 14

Ottawa at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16

Ottawa at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 17

N.Y. Islanders at Ottawa, 7 p.m., if necessary

Sunday, April 20

Ottawa at N.Y. Islanders, 3 p.m., if necessary

Tuesday, April 22

N.Y. Islanders at Ottawa, 7 p.m., if necessary

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New Jersey vs. Boston

Wednesday, April 9

Boston at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 11

Boston at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 13

New Jersey at Boston, 3 p.m.

Tuesday, April 15

New Jersey at Boston, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 17

Boston at New Jersey, 7 p.m., if necessary

Saturday, April 19

New Jersey at Boston, TBA, if necessary

Monday, April 21

Boston at New Jersey, 7 p.m., if necessary

---

Tampa Bay vs. Washington

Thursday, April 10

Washington at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 12

Washington at Tampa Bay, 3 p.m.

Tuesday, April 15

Tampa Bay at Washington, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16

Tampa Bay at Washington, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 18

Washington at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m., if necessary

Sunday, April 20

Tampa Bay at Washington, 3 p.m., if necessary

Tuesday, April 22

Washington at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m., if necessary

---

Philadelphia vs. Toronto

Wednesday, April 9

Toronto at Philadelphia 7 p.m.

Friday, April 11

Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Monday, April 14

Philadelphia at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16

Philadelphia at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 19

Toronto at Philadelphia, 3 p.m., if necessary

Monday, April 21

Philadelphia at Toronto, 7 p.m., if necessary

Tuesday, April 22

Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m., if necessary

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

Dallas vs. Edmonton

Wednesday, April 9

Edmonton at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 11

Edmonton at Dallas, 9 p.m.

Sunday, April 13

Dallas at Edmonton, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, April 15

Dallas at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Thursday, April 17

Edmonton at Dallas, 7:30 p.m., if necessary

Saturday, April 19

Dallas at Edmonton, 8 p.m., if necessary

Monday, April 21

Edmonton at Dallas, 9 p.m., if necessary

---

Detroit vs. Anaheim

Thursday, April 10

Anaheim at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 12

Anaheim at Detroit, 3 p.m.

Monday, April 14

Detroit at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16

Detroit at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 19

Anaheim at Detroit, 3 p.m., if necessary

Sunday, April 20

Detroit at Anaheim, 10 p.m., if necessary

Tuesday, April 22

Anaheim at Detroit, 7 p.m., if necessary

---

Colorado vs. Minnesota

Thursday, April 10

Minnesota at Colorado, 9 p.m.

Saturday, April 12

Minnesota at Colorado, 3 p.m.

Monday, April 14

Colorado at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16

Colorado at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 19

Minnesota at Colorado, 3 p.m., if necessary

Monday, April 21

Colorado at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m., if necessary

Tuesday, April 22

Minnesota at Colorado, 10 p.m., if necessary

---

Vancouver vs. St. Louis

Thursday, April 10

St. Louis at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 12

St. Louis at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Monday, April 14

Vancouver at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16

Vancouver at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, April 18

St. Louis at Vancouver, 9 p.m., if necessary

Sunday, April 20

Vancouver at St. Louis, 7 p.m., if necessary

Tuesday, April 22

St. Louis at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m., if necessary

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CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(Best-of-7)

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CONFERENCE FINALS

(Best-of-7)

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STANLEY CUP FINALS

(Best-of-7)