Kadri leads way, Avs nearing 1st conference final since '02
DENVER (AP) — Nazem Kadri held his hand near his ear to absorb the boos from St. Louis fans after one of his three goals. He nodded several times in their direction following another.
“Hey, I’ve got to rub it in,” the Colorado Avalanche forward said afterward.
By far the best player on the ice in Game 4, Kadri was fueled by disturbing threats he received that led to heightened security. He was also fueled by simply providing a lift for his team in a 6-3 win.
Kadri became the first Avalanche player to record a playoff hat trick on the road. His contributions helped Colorado take a 3-1 lead in the secondround series, with a chance to close out the Blues on Wednesday (8 p.m. EDT, TNT) in Denver.
The Avalanche are looking to advance to their first Western Conference Final since 2002, when Hall of Famers Joe Sakic, Rob Blake, Peter Forsberg and Patrick Roy played starring roles (they lost in seven games to Detroit).
Not that they let their minds wander to the possibility yet. Still work to be done.
“We’re just focused on the next shift, next period. We’re not looking ahead to the score or winning the series, whatever it might be," Colorado defenseman Bowen Byram said Tuesday as the team returned from St. Louis. “Our focus is just right now preparing to play and then once we get in the game, just nextshift mentality.”
Kadri didn't retaliate and it set up a 5-on-3 power play for Colorado, with Kadri scoring right after the penalties expired to make it a three-goal game.
“Lose your cool and we’ll make you pay,” Kadri said.
Kadri has drawn the ire of Blues fans for a second straight postseason. It stems from his hit to the head of defenseman Justin Faulk in Game 2 a year ago, leading to Kadri's eight-game suspension.
The animosity only increased after Game 3 of this series, when he and St. Louis defenseman Calle Rosen collided and Kadri ended up in the lap of goaltender Jordan Binnington. It knocked Binnington out of the game — and the series — with a lowerbody injury.
The Blues now go into regroup mode. They’re 2-12 overall in a best-ofseven series when trailing 3-1.
“We’ve got to skate. We didn’t skate (Monday),” said St. Louis coach Craig Berube, whose team beat the Avs in Game 2 in Denver. “We weren’t heavy enough. We didn’t win enough 50-50 battles. That’s got to be a must. You've got to skate and you've got to win 50-50 battles. We need a lot more guys doing it. A lot more.”
For Kadri, the game will remain a performance to cherish.
“I wanted to come out and really put a mark on this game," Kadri said. "I tried to do that as best as possible. It felt amazing, especially on the road. It was pure.”