Flynn’s Take: What a Difference Nichushkin Makes in Avs’ Success

Valeri Nichushkin’s puck-handling skills and vision on the ice are outstanding. He is the epitome of a playmaker and the team suffers when he is out of the lineup. A perfect example of his abilities was displayed on his 30th birthday in the victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Casey Mittelstadt scored the game-winning goal in the Avs’ 4-1 win over the Pens but the play was made possible by Nichushkin. The Russian forward got the puck in the offensive zone on the power play and passed it to Nathan MacKinnon who then passed it back to Nichushkin. He lifted the puck slightly to pass it across the crease right onto Mittelstadt’s stick who shot it past Alex Nedeljkovic on the short side.

“It was a heck of a pass. He put it right on my tape and made my job pretty easy. So, yeah, thankful for that,” Mittelstadt said after the game.

Nichushkin rarely allows media when asked for interviews but I didn’t try after the win. He was doing his postgame ritual at his stall next to Mittelstadt when reporters crowded around next to him. But it’s doubtful he felt unappreciated.

His pass to Mittelstadt for the game-winner was significant in a sloppy game. The Avs came out low on energy and had difficulty handling the puck for most of the matchup. The goal was on the Avs’ only power play of the night — part of their game that has not been so great this season. They are No. 14 in the league with a 22.9 power-play percentage. Nichushkin’s absence was a factor in the team’s struggle to convert on the man-advantage.

“Val’s such a horse on the power play … Val’s still finding his game a little bit, but he’s been on the ice now for two power-play goals since he’s been back in very minimal time — one he scored, and then the other night,” head coach Jared Bednar said.

Nichushkin did not get on the scoresheet in his first game back from injury on Feb. 26 but he netted the first goal of the game in the 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday.

He has 12 goals and seven assists in the 24 games he’s played this season. He is a plus-7 in those two dozen games with four power-play points. He’s ranked second on the team in shooting percentage at 18.8 but has played 26 fewer games than the team leader, Artturi Lehkonen.

Bednar said before Nichushkin’s injury that he is always at least at 80-85% or better and that he doesn’t have bad games.

“I’m never really going to watch his game and go ‘Man, he was terrible tonight.’ It just doesn’t happen,” Bednar said on Dec. 27, 2024.

Nichushkin’s work ethic and versatility in 5-on-5 and special teams are crucial pieces for a team that has been inconsistent for parts of the season. The Avs have better chances of winning games and going deep in the playoffs with him on the ice.