Valery can double his salary
The playoffs are when unknown heroes come to the fore. We know very well who Valery Nichushkin – he knows how to train in defense, fight on the sides, do the dirty work and carry the piano that the others play.
avalanche never needed Nichushkin as a goalscorer who would score 50 goals in a season. On the contrary, he had to win back the pucks and create chances for the star partners.
So they saw Nichushkin, who in the third game of the series against “Edmonton” came out as a trio with Nathan McKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.
However, this Nichushkin season is completely different. He’s not just a great two-way striker. The Russian has taken a huge step forward in terms of offense, scoring 25 goals, 27 assists and 52 points in 62 regular season games. The three numbers are his NHL personal bestscoring records.
And in the playoffs, he has nine (5+4) points in 13 games. Valery is one of the top five Russian scorers in this Stanley Cup with Vladimir Tarasenko (6 + 3 = 9), behind only Pavel Buchnevich (1 + 10 = 11), Artemy Panarin (5 + 8 = 13) and Nikita Kucherov (5 + 12=17).
Nichushkin added at the right time. After all, he’s 27, the contract is coming to an end, and he’s an unrestricted free agent. The guy goes on the market, any NHL club can sign him. There’s no doubt that Mark Gandler, the player’s agent, will get the biggest deal possible for the client – after all, Nichushkin’s regular-season stats are magnificent.
Valery received $2.8 million in this championship. Ryan Strom, 28 (54 points) had $5 million, Vincent Trochek, 28 (51 points) – $6.25 million, Andrew Kopp, 27 (53 points) – $3.64 million. His salary.
Nichushkin: ‘You have to prove yourself worthy to play with McKinnon and Landeskog’
In addition, this moment is very important for Colorado and the entire NHL. It was Nichushkin who helped bring the series 3-0, which all but took the long-suffering Avalanche to the Stanley Cup Finals. They had dreamed of it for so many years!
It was Nichushkin who was recognized as the first star of this encounter. And it was he who helped stop star Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
McDavid opened the scoring in the 38th second. It seemed that “Edmonton” on its site will be able to develop success. But in the 17th minute, Nichushkin fired a cross from the left flank and the puck ricocheted into Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse’s stick goal. There, 40-year-old Edmonton goaltender Mike Smith had almost no chance.
Early in the second period, Nichushkin successfully connected on offense when he pitched Colorado defenseman Devon Toews – the puck bounced off the Oilers player directly off Valery, who rammed it into the net with one touch.
Then it was 2-2, but Colorado had a very active third period (12-7 on shots) and still put the pressure on the Oilers.
Here’s what Nichushkin himself told reporters after the game.
– What can you say about the game with McKinnon and Landeskog in Colorado’s top three? How has this affected you?
– That was delicious. But you have to prove in every game that you deserve this place. You can’t give up the game. I really like playing with them,” Nichushkin told reporters.
– Describe how the goals were scored. What did you want to do there?
– At the first moment, I just wanted to pass, and the puck was successfully cut into their goal. The second moment – after our throw to me, the puck bounced successfully. They talked about how you constantly have to move well, be as quick as possible, and then a rebound can come your way.
Personal Best Man vs. McDavid
Needless to say, it was a Pyrrhic win for Colorado, as much-loved Avalanche center Nazem Kadri was out of lineup after a dirty trick from Evander Kane, and Andre Burakowski was out even earlier and was not part of the training.
The same problem that had already plagued the playoffs is piling up on Colorado – injuries. That’s why we needed a forward who could pick up the game. Nichushkin was not only lucky with rebounds and rebounds, he had the most shots in a game with the Avalanche – five . Same for McKinnon.
In addition, Valery received the most playing time among forwards (23:41) He came out in both the majority (2:44) and the minority (1:11), and in the top three with McKinnon, he plowed and scored goals, and two hits, and a block. In general, the man was in shock.
Every hockey player will tell you that the first period on the road is the most difficult segment when it comes to resisting the onslaught of the hosts. It was very important for Colorado to go unnoticed despite McDavid’s first goal. And now Nichushkin’s puck calmed the team, which allowed the Avalanche to find their game in the next 40 minutes.
Interestingly, Colorado scored three goals and conceded only one when McDavid was tied on the ice. Connor’s second straight game was shut out. In the last game, the Avalanche won 4-0, and McDavid only had two shots at -1 on utility.
How did Colorado do it? Defenders Devon Toews, Cale Makar and Bowen Byram worked very well on defense. Additionally, Nichushkin went 8:10 minutes against McDavid in even lineups, during which time Colorado had an 8-3 lead in shooting and a 2-0 lead in goal.
Can you imagine? Valera not only scored a brace, he also saved McDavid!
And goalkeeper Pavel Francouz played very well, who played, like Nichushkin, in the Chelyabinsk Tractor. He made a cookie last game, and now he’s got the win, having made 27 saves. His saves at key moments were the most important.
Colorado has won six road games in this playoff series with a 30-15 goal difference.
A day later, another victory in Edmonton will take the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2001, when Colorado was still coached by Bob Hartley and Ray Burke, Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy were playing for the team.
It’s time to come back!
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
