Nichushkin’s Return Boosts Avs in Victory Over New Jersey Devils

The Avalanche realized what a difference one player can make to a team. Valeri Nichushkin helped boost his team to a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils Wednesday night.

His skill and size have been noticeably absent from the lineup. However, the return of his power and persistence became infectious and spread throughout the team, as if each player had a Super Mario power-up mushroom.

Read More: One Win Makes a Difference: Bednar’s Message to Avs

“Just such a difference maker. A guy that big that can move like that in his forechecking — the first draw in the second (period) when he got that puck, was amazing,” Nathan MacKinnon said after the win. “We’re tough to beat when he’s in the lineup. Honestly, we’re just a completely different team.”

Head coach Jared Bednar said the 29-year-old Russian’s return changed the landscape and although he didn’t get on the scoresheet, he made an exceptional impact in the team’s victory.

“(Nichushkin) was a huge part of it. If you look at the second line and their pace — the ozone time, the scoring chances — he really helps those guys,” Bednar said. “He’s the type of player with what he provides is the perfect complimentary guy for anybody. But for guys like (Casey) Mittelstadt and (Jonathan) Drouin — we’ve been missing that, and he made an impact.”

Nichushkin had five shots on goal and got robbed on a couple but still contributed to the win. There was a flow to the game with everyone doing their part. They were connected and made it look streamlined, which is something they want to continue.

“Hopefully it’s not just a one-off. It’s up to the rest of us to continue to play our game. He’s a good player. He provides a spark, provides some energy. He’s a good power forward,” Ross Colton said. “Just everyone else played their role, played their game. We watched the video this morning, and we had four lines. Everybody was playing hard. And a lot of guys get rewarded. So it was really nice.”

Bednar said the team was “feeling it … (they) feel good about it, and guys are more vocal, and you can maintain it, sustain it for longer periods of time.”

The Avalanche will hopefully continue feeling it against the Central Division matchup with the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.