Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Buries pair of goals

Nichushkin scored two goals on three shots in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Kings.

Nichushkin reached the 20-goal mark just 3:33 into the game, and he added another tally in the third period. He had picked up just two assists in his last four outings. The 27-year-old winger has enjoyed a career year with 43 points, 149 shots on net, 76 hits and a plus-20 rating in 54 contests. He's played mainly on the second line in recent games, but he's still capable of strong scoring numbers in that role.