Nazem Kadri had been finding ways to contribute offensively for the Colorado Avalanche but the one thing that was missing was a goal. That changed Friday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kadri scored his first goal of the season at 5:52 of the opening period, converting on a power play to give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead at Ball Arena. The goal ended a 10-game scoring drought for the veteran forward, who had entered the contest with seven assists but had yet to find the back of the net. And the opponent made the occasion even better.
Kadri played an important role in the Avalanche's 2022 Stanley Cup championship, including one of the most memorable goals in franchise playoff history against the Lightning. Four years later, he found himself celebrating another goal against the Lightning, this time in the opening month of the regular season.
Friday's play developed after Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel was penalized for tripping at 5:09. The Avalanche capitalized 43 seconds later. Rookie T.J. Hughes delivered a pass to Kadri in the low slot, where the veteran forward beat Andrei Vasilevskiy with a snap shot. It was an important contribution from an Avalanche power play that had converted just six of its first 32 opportunities entering the game, an 18.75 percent success rate.
The Avalanche had already taken the lead when Devon Toews scored just 1:08 into the contest, assisted by Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon. Kadri's goal doubled the advantage and provided the Avalanche with an encouraging start after consecutive losses to Philadelphia and New Jersey.
For Kadri, the goal also represented progress toward an individual milestone. He entered Friday needing two power-play goals to reach 100 for his NHL career. His goal against the Lightning was his 99th, leaving him one away from triple digits. The 36-year-old had generated opportunities before Friday without converting them.
Through his first 10 games, Kadri registered 27 shots on goal, averaging 2.7 per contest. He also averaged 20:20 of ice time, demonstrating the responsibilities the Avalanche had continued to give him despite his lack of goals.
Kadri's return to the Avalanche earlier this year reunited him with the organization where he enjoyed his most productive NHL season. During the 2021-22 campaign, he scored 28 goals and had 59 assists for a career-high 87 points in 71 games. He followed that performance with seven goals and eight assists in 16 playoff appearances as he helped the Avalanche win their third Stanley Cup in team history.
Perhaps his most memorable contribution came in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. Returning from thumb surgery, Kadri scored at 12:02 of overtime to give the Avalanche a 3-2 victory over the Lightning and a commanding 3-1 series lead as the Avalanche eventually captured the championship in six games.
Friday's goal carried different circumstances, but it offered an encouraging sign for a team looking to get more from its veteran forwards. The Avalanche don't need Kadri to match his career best from 2021-22, but they do however, need him to finish some of the chances he's been generating. After 10 games without a goal, he finally did.
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