TAMPA, Fla. – The Colorado Avalanche got a key player back with the return of center Nazem Kadri for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.
Kadri been out since injuring his thumb when he was boarded by Evander Kane in Game 3 of Colorado’s four-game sweep over the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final. Kane received a major penalty and was suspended a game.
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Kadri has six goals and 14 points in 13 playoff games.
As expected, Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov was in the lineup while center Brayden Point was not.
Kucherov departed Game 3 late in the third after getting cross-checked by Colorado’s Devon Toews.
Point played in the first two games of the Final after missing 10 straight due to a right leg injury.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar opted to stick with goalie Darcy Kuemper, who was pulled midway through the second period of Game 3 after allowing five goals Monday night in a 6-2 loss.
Kuemper left in Game 1 of the Edmonton series with an upper-body injury and was replaced by Pavel Francouz, who won all four games against the Oilers to improve to 6-0 overall in this year’s postseason.
Avalanche left wing Andre Burakovsky (hand) missed his second straight game and was skating and getting treatment in Denver on Wednesday. After scoring in overtime to win the series opener, he departed Game 2 after blocking a shot.
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