The Colorado Avalanche eliminated the Calgary Flames from the postseason in five games Friday night with a one-sided 5-1 victory. Along with the Tampa Bay Lightning's sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets, it marked the first time both No. 1 seeds lost in the first round in the expansion era.
The NHL expanded from six teams to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season, marking the beginning of the expansion era. With only six teams in the league before 1968, there was only one division, and thus only one top seed.
Calgary and Tampa didn't just lose, the two teams were completely outmatched, combining to win just one playoff game.
The Avalanche will now play the winner of the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2. Vegas currently leads the series 3-2.
