With Game 4 set for Wednesday, here’s a look at what you need to know:
– Jon Cooper expects to use the lineup in Game 4 as they did in the Game 3 win. That should mean Nick Paul and Nikita Kucherov will play after missing portions of Game 3, while Brayden Point is not expected to be in the lineup.
– Cooper on Point’s status moving forward after playing the first two games: “I haven’t ruled him out for the series, but he’s out for tonight.”
– Cooper said the team is already looking to the future after winning Game 3, knowing the difficulty of winning games in the Stanley Cup final: “One win is one win, but that’s in the past, just like the 7-0 loss is in the past.”
– Avalanche coach Jared Bednar would not confirm a starting goalie, but Darcy Kuemper practiced in the road net which typically indicates who the starter is.
– Bednar also wouldn’t confirm whether Nazem Kadri will play on Wednesday. He skated with the full club for the second day. Bednar said it’s all about managing the pain for Kadri, and if he can handle that, he might be in the lineup for Game 4 after missing the past three games with a hand injury.
– Andre Burakovsky arrived in Denver and skated on Wednesday, but is not expected to play after taking a shot off the hand in Game 2.
– After a tough loss in Game 3, Gabriel Landeskog came out in defense of goaltender Darcy Kuemper: “We have lots of belief. Darcy has been our starter.”
Andrew Cogliano on Cale Makar, who took home the Norris Trophy on Tuesday: “I don’t think I’ve seen a focus like his in another young player in my entire career.”
– The Tampa Bay Lighting are 8-1 at home during the post-season, with the Avs suffering their first loss on the road back in Game 3.
