Valeri Nichushkin went scoreless in Game 4 of the second-round Stanley Cup series against the Minnesota Wild, as the Colorado Avalanche won 5-2 on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 series lead. The 31-year-old Russian forward logged 19:09 of ice time, the fourth-highest among Colorado forwards, including 2:59 on the penalty kill, and finished with a neutral plus/minus rating. He recorded three shots on goal, two hits, and two blocked shots.
In the current postseason, Nichushkin has collected three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in eight games with a plus-1 rating. The Avalanche sealed the victory with two empty-net goals in the final 25 seconds. Nichushkin’s defensive contributions were notable, but he couldn’t find the scoresheet in a tight-checking contest. The series now shifts back to Colorado for Game 5, where the Avalanche can advance to the Western Conference Final with a win.
