Big Val Nichushkin wasn’t the only one who vanished. According to Moneypuck.com, the Colorado Avalanche last spring trotted out six offensive combos that logged at least 10 minutes of postseason ice time without stars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
In seven games, those six lines gave up (checks notes) three goals and scored (checks notes again) … once.
Good night, Irene. And hello, Cancun.
“Nate and Mikko are very elite,” new Avs left winger Jonathan Drouin told me earlier this week in advance of Colorado’s season-opening puck drop at Los Angeles on Wednesday night.