It’s odd that the top three stars in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals included players Colorado Avalanche André Burakowski, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, but not a single Russian was there.
Defender Tampa Bay Lightning Mikhail Sergachev scored a superb goal which allowed the game to go into extra time.
And the Avalanche ahead Valery Nichushkin generally turned out to be a real monster. At the start of the match, he hit the post, scored a goal and provided the assist in extra time. The best shots of both teams (6), worked nearly three minutes shorthanded (2:41).
Well, how could that not be noted?
“Only Kucherov and Panarin are better than Nichushkin”
About Nichushkin enthusiastically writes in the North American press. It is always interesting to watch a Russian hockey player from the outside.
“No matter how much you admire Nikita Kucherov’s tricks, Andrei Vasilevsky’s saves and Mikhail Sergachev’s long-range shots, the main hero of the NHL Playoff Finals opener was the Colorado forward Valery Nichushkin.
He’s the guy everyone laughed at a few years ago because of his unrealistic dry streak when he couldn’t touch the net for over 100 games, including the playoffs, who scored the first Russian goal in the final.
And it was he who gave breathtaking concentration in overtime. Nine out of ten players in a similar situation would try to take a shot. However, Nichushkin did just amazing – he deceived his rivals and threw the puck to Swede Andre Burakovsky, who just had to miss the empty frame. With a simple task, the Scandinavian coped perfectly.
It is even surprising that Valéry does not appear in the list of three stars of the match. There is every reason to believe that it could even exceed this rating.
After all, it was Nichushkin’s transfer that made tens of thousands of Colorado fans happy, mad for a short time. The Denver Ball Arena was shaking after the Avalanche decider in overtime.
By the way, in terms of the number of points in this playoff, Nichushkin (11) has already risen to third place in the list of top Russian scorers. Only Artemy Panarin (16) and Nikita Kucherov (24) are in the lead, but they both earn around $20 million a year. But Nichushkin’s salary is only $2.5 million.
It’s like the incredible but somewhat classic story of the transformation of an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. To complete the picture, Nichushkin is missing only the champion ring. And in the first game of the final, Valery brought his dream closer to his own hands. Certainly, the trio of Russians from Tampa is still against this scenario. Well, the more interesting the sequel to this finale will be, especially for Russian fans. This Colorado-Tampa Bay series is bound to turn into a true hockey thriller.”
Jared Bednar: “Valera is power!”
And here is what American fans write about Nichushkin in social networks.
“Do you remember how Colorado general manager Joe Sakic put Nichushkin on the list? Valera played for CSKA, had a good season. He was invited back to the NHL again when Nichushkin re-signed with Dallas. But in the 2018-19 season, he only scored 10 points in 57 matches and didn’t score any goals.
It’s not just that Dallas bought Nichushkin’s contract for $2.95 million a year – that was June 29, 2019. And on August 19 of the same year, Sakik throws Valery a lifeline. Do you want to stay in the NHL? Okay, but your salary will be $850,000, and no bonuses.
And now Nichushkin is entering the free agent market with no restrictions – and he’s playing in such a way that he can cut a contract even for $9.5 million a year! It’s a joke, of course. But somewhere in the region of $5 million he will easily receive. Basically, he was taken for 50 cents, and now he’s worth millions.
“Look, before the start of these qualifiers, Nichushkin played 42 cup games in which he scored 9 (4 + 5) points. And in this playoff Nichushkin played 15 games in which he got 11 (6+5) points. Valery is a legend! Give him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most precious thing in the Stanley Cup!”
“Rate how well Nichushkin played in overtime. An excellent pass under Burakowski’s shot, and he throws with precision in one touch. Delicious!”
“Nichushkin is now playing on the edge of the first tie, where Nathan McKinnon is in the middle, and Gabriel Landeskog is on the other flank. Valery’s main function is clear – he has to fight for the puck and carry the piano for the main stars of the club. If he can prove himself in attack at the same time, so much the better. But if you look at the advanced stats, then the McKinnon trio in equal compositions threw the opponents 18-3 and literally overpowered them.
And here’s what Colorado head coach Jared Bednar had to say about Nichushkin: “Valery is a force in almost every game. He’s good at using power moves, picking up the puck, he’s good at attacking, which is what you’ve seen in this game. Not only gets worse, but also creates chances for others – look how Burki scored. He is very useful in line with Mack (McKinnon) and Lundy (Landeskog). Sometimes it can mark a turning point in the course of the match. And it’s great for our guys that such a Nichushkin is in the top three with them. There is a very good interaction between them, and there is energy in this bond.
In general, Nichushkin is now at the zenith of his career. And it really is an ugly duckling fairy tale. All that remains is to end it on a high note after the Stanley Cup Finals.
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.
