Craig Smith scored at 4:17 of the third period, and the Nashville Predators eliminated Colorado from playoff contention by edging the Avalanche 4-3 Tuesday night.
With the win, the Predators snapped their own four-game winless skid that started with a loss to Colorado in Nashville on March 28.
Colin Wilson and Filip Forsberg each scored a goal and an assist for Nashville, and Ryan Johansen had two assists.
Shawn Mattias had a goal and an assist, and Jarome Iginla and Mikkel Boedker each scored a goal as Colorado lost its fourth straight.
The Avalanche had to win out with Minnesota losing its final two to catch the Wild for the Western Conference's second wild-card berth. The Wild lost 3-0 at home to San Jose, and the Avalanche rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 when Mattias scored off a rebound at 1:58 to tie it up again.
