TAMPA, Fla. — When the story of this NHL championship is told, the first and last words will be the same: Nazem Kadri. After the Avalanche hoist the Stanley Cup, the most rousing toast should honor a player that overcame his own demons to deliver hockey’s holy grail to Colorado.
“Oh, man. rollercoaster of emotions, thinking I was done and then having a sliver of hope … Sitting here right now is surreal,” Kadri said late Wednesday after coming off the injured list to drive a stake through the heart of Tampa Bay with a broken thumb.
During his first appearance in a game since June 4, Kadri broke the spirit of the Lightning, delivering the shot that beat Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to deliver Colorado a 3-2 overtime victory, and hand the Avs a chance to claim the franchise’s first championship since 2001.