Avs would get massive emotional boost from Nazem Kadri playing Game 4

The last time the city of Denver won a championship, a key player returned to put the title wheels in motion.

January 3, 2016. The Broncos and Chargers at Mile High Stadium. The No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs on the line for Denver.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler started the game for Denver, but he didn’t finish it. The Broncos offense was a mess the first 2.5 quarters with Osweiler under center, committing five turnovers and in danger of losing to a 4-11 San Diego team. Head coach Gary Kubiak had seen enough and decided to switch to the backup QB. That man happened to be Peyton Manning.

“The Sheriff” led a successful second half comeback as the Broncos outscored the Chargers 20-7 the rest of the game with Manning at QB. The 27-20 victory earned Denver the top seed in the conference and the rest is history. Manning never relinquished the quarterback job and the Broncos beat the Steelers, Patriots and Panthers on their way to a Super Bowl 50 championship.

Sure, Manning wasn’t particularly great in the playoffs, but he didn’t need to be. His presence alone raised the play of all his teammates, including a historically great defense led by Von Miller. The result let Manning retire a champion and the city of Denver threw its first parade since 2001. That celebration was for the Avalanche and Ray Bourque, another Colorado sports legend who won the final game he ever played in.

That leads us to the 2022 Avs, just two wins away from returning the Stanley Cup to Colorado. But what we saw from the Avalanche on Monday night wasn’t good enough. Far from it. In the 6-2 Game 3 loss to the Lightning the Avs looked human. Tampa Bay slowed them down like we haven’t seen since the St. Louis series in Game 2 of Round 2. The Avalanche managed just two goals, both from captain Gabriel Landeskog.

Was the outcome a random loss or part of a potential bigger problem? With Colorado 14-3 in the postseason, conventional logic says it was just one bad night. No big deal. But for those of us that remember the Golden Knights series a season ago, we know things can go South in a hurry with these Avs. When they lost four straight to Vegas, it was a stunning meltdown. The Avalanche can’t lose Game 4 and let that thought even come close to entering their head.

While the goalie situation will be critical to Colorado’s success later tonight, there’s an even bigger issue at hand. The Avs need a spark. And who would provide the biggest one possible?

Nazem Kadri.

Before Kadri got hurt by the stick of cheap shot artist Evander Kane in the Oilers series, he was one of Colorado’s best players in the postseason. Kadri tallied 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in just 12 games before exiting in the opening minutes of Game 3 in Edmonton thanks to Kane’s dirty cross-check.

He was also a rallying point for the Avalanche in the Blues series, scoring a hat trick after being the victim of appalling racist threats. When the Avs returned home for Game 5, the Ball Arena crowd went out of its way to provide a well-deserved heroes welcome.

If Kadri is able to suit up in Game 4 against the Lightning, it would provide a tremendous emotional boost. The guy got surgery after the Kane hit broke his thumb and was almost assuredly done for the playoffs. If he can somehow come back just 2.5 weeks after going under the knife, it has the potential to be an all-time sports story in Colorado. Kadri makes an improbable return and scores a game-winning goal? Sign me up.

And his Avalanche teammates seeing No. 91 back in the locker room and on the ice would lift their spirits. The playoffs are a grind — any extra juice when you’re playing hockey in late June is huge.

Look, if Kadri’s not ready to go, then there’s nothing the Avs can do. But after he skated on Tuesday morning in Tampa Bay and head coach Jared Bednar said he’s an “option” for Colorado the rest of the series, why not get him out there for Game 4? Kadri at 80 percent on the second line is a much better player than a guy like JT Compher at 100 percent.

Nazem Kadri isn’t Peyton Manning. Not even close. But his return could provide a spark similar to Manning’s in 2016. And that led to a parade, with this one likely to do the same.
***