TAMPA, Florida ( Associated Press) — The Colorado Avalanche brought back a key player with the return of center Nazem Kadri in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.
Qadri has been out since injuring his thumb when Evander Kane took him down in Game 3 of Colorado’s four-game game over the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals. Kane received a large fine and was suspended for the game.
Kadri has six goals and 14 points in 13 playoff games.
As expected, the Lightning’s right winger Nikita Kucherov was in the roster, while center Brayden Point was not.
Kucherov was out of Game 3 late in Game 3 after a cross-check by Colorado’s Devon Toews.
Point played in the first two games of the finals, missing 10 straight games with a right leg injury.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar chose to stay with goaltender Darcy Kemper, who was sidelined midway through the second period of Game 3 after conceding five goals in a 6-2 loss on Monday night.
Kemper left in Game 1 of the Edmonton series with an upper body injury and was replaced by Pavel Frankuz, who won all four games against the Oilers and improved his overall record to 6-0 this year’s postseason.
Avalanche left winger Andre Burakovsky (arm) missed the second game in a row and skated and recuperated in Denver on Wednesday. After scoring a goal in overtime to win the first series, he left Game 2 with a shot blocked.
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