Blackhawks, Penguins, Avalanche join playoff party

The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche all qualified for the playoffs over a busy weekend as the NHL's regular season entered its final two weeks on Monday.

With the regular season ending on April 13, only seven of 16 playoff spots are spoken for with the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks having also clinched.

Pittsburgh claimed a spot with a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday while Colorado earned its first playoff berth since 2010 with Saturday's 3-2 win over the Sharks.