When you saw the lines for the Colorado Avalanche today for their game against the Capitals, there were several starters out. Two of them, we knew wouldn’t play. Another guy was a surprise. Valeri Nichushkin was inactive for the game with the typicall “upper-body injury” designation.
Head coach Jared Bednar stated after the game, in which the Avalanche won 5-2, that Nichushkin was involved in a multi-car accident on his way to Ball Arena. Word is that Nichushkin just wasn’t good to go for this afternoon’s game and we will see what his status is for upcoming games on Tuesday.
Victor Olofsson slid into Nichushkin’s right wing spot on the second line. He played 14:26 and recorded a goal and an assist while shooting the puck twice and taking the ice for 26 shifts.
Now, it goes without saying that having Nichushkin on the ice is critical. He plays a tough, physical game, and can score as well as chip in on goals by way of assists. He’s got 11 goals and 16 assists in 38 games.
The shocking thing is that, while he’s a threat in several areas, he hasn’t actually scored since December 31 against the St. Louis Blues, when he recorded a hat trick. Nichushkin actualy hasn’t recorded back-to-back games with a goal, but has several back-to-backs of games with an assist.
The Avs have two games the rest of the week. Their next game is Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks, while they take the ice again on Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The loss of Nichushkin for any amount of time is significant. However, I think that it’s somewhat of a good thing to be able to get other players playing time with teammates they otherwise wouldn’t get if the roster was healthy. There’s no doubt that Nichushkin’s absence is noticeable, but the Avalanche didn’t even need him for Monday afternoon’s game. Their depth has been tested as of late, and that’s a good thing going forward.