Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Strikes for power-play goal

Nichushkin scored a power-play goal on five shots, blocked three shots and added two PIM in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.

Nichushkin has scored in back-to-back contests for the third time this season. The 29-year-old opened the scoring at 3:40 of the first period. He's up to nine goals (two on the power play), four assists, 39 shots on net, 14 hits and an even plus-minus rating over 17 appearances. Nichushkin was on the top line Thursday after playing the bulk of his time on the second line, though any spot in the Avalanche's top six should be enough for him to stay productive.