Avalanche’s final 10-game stretch begins against hungry L.A. Kings

Colorado Avalanche players celebrate a win over the Edmonton Oilers in an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta.The 10-game “runway” to the playoffs, as Avalanche coach Jared Bednar coined it, begins Wednesday night against a hungry team at Ball Arena.

Colorado, now tied with the Florida Panthers with a league-high 110 points, hosts the Los Angeles Kings, who are in a five-team scramble for the final three spots in the Western Conference.

The Kings (88 points) have just seven remaining games — fewer than Edmonton (90 points), Nashville (89), Dallas (88) and Vegas (85). The Avs lead the conference with 110 points — 11 ahead of second-place Calgary — and are heavily…