Game 4 Recap: Kadri's Hat Trick Powers Avs Past Blues

The Colorado Avalanche marched past the St. Louis Blues 6-3 in Game 4 of the Second Round Series of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday night at Enterprise Center. The Avalanche now lead the series 3-1.

Nazem Kadri paced the Avalanche victory with a hat trick (3G, 1A), while Erik Johnson and Devon Toews also found the back of the net - and Mikko Rantanen scored on the empty net. Valeri Nichushkin produced two assists. Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves on 20 shots in the victory.
For St. Louis, David Perron scored twice, including once on the power play and Pavel Buchnevich also added a power play strike. Ville Husso made 31 saves on 36 shots.
REGULATION SUMMARY:
Despite falling 1-0 after the first period - and after a dominant effort that featured a 15-3 shot advantage - Colorado marched out to the second period with four unanswered goals and three goals in the span of 1:42 and four goals in the span of 4:53.

(Erik) Johnson got the scoring started 2:44 into the middle frame as he walked the blueline, faked a slap shot, skated to his left and then blasted a low shot past Husso's glove side for Colorado's 1-1 equalizer. The Avs then converted with Kadri's go-ahead strike at 4:07. After winning a defensive zone faceoff draw, Valeri Nichushkin returned the puck up ice back to Kadri, who jetted into the offensive zone. He wired a shot under Husso's glove side. Before the arena PA could finish announcing Kadri's strike, the Colorado extended its lead 3-1 courtesy of Toews. Toews drilled a one timer from the top of the left faceoff circle past Husso as a puck shot out to his stick at 4:26.
After taking a commanding - and stunning 3-1 lead - the Blues responded with chippy play. The Avs were awarded a 5-on-3 power play at 5:30 after Buchnevich took a roughing penalty on Kadri and Perron followed up with a cross check on the Avs centerman. Despite killing off the two-man advantage, Colorado furthered its lead 4-1 just as both penalties expired. From below the left faceoff circle, Byram threaded a cross-slot pass to Kadri who rifled a one timer on the backdoor for his second goal of the game.
After relinquishing four unanswered goals in the second period, St. Louis countered with two late power play goals to make it a 4-3 game heading into the final period of play. Darren Helm took a hooking penalty at 15:39 and Scott Perunovich zipped a pass to the backdoor where Perron buried his second of the game - and second goal in the span of 3:30 minutes - on a backdoor one timer at 17:02.
(Erik) Johnson then went to the penalty box for interference at 17:53 and the Blues converted on the late power play. A Jordan Kyrou one timer in the slot was denied by Kuemper, but the loose puck trickled across the crease and off Buchnevich to trim St. Louis' deficit down 4-3.

Kadri completed his hat trick in the third period at 9:38. On a tremendous forechecking effort by Nichushkin to strip the puck away from a Blues forward, the puck popped into the left faceoff circle. Kadri swooped in and sniped his shot between the post and Husso's blocker to give the Avalanche a 5-3 lead and complete his hat trick.
With Husso pulled late in the game, Rantanen scored his first postseason goal with two seconds left on the clock on the St. Louis empty net to extend Colorado's lead and final score 6-3.
In the first period, the Avalanche were outshooting St. Louis 6-2 through the opening five minutes of the game, but a poor turnover cost them. From below the goal line, an attempt to rim the puck around the boards by Toews was quickly redirected to the net front by Pavel Buchnevich. Perron crashed the crease, implemented a quick forehand-to-backhand sweep past Kuemper and tucked the puck into the net at 5:07 to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead.
IN NET:
Kuemper didn't face a high workload to start off the first period as he only saw three shots against and St. Louis capitalized on one of them as a result of a costly turnover.
Kuemper was solid in the second period as St. Louis' offense heated up and tested him 12 shots. The Avs netminder was sharp despite the two power-play goals against.
In the third period, Kuemper came up with clutch stops - including holding off a St. Louis power play shortly after Kadri completed the hat trick. He finished the period with five saves.
NOTEWORTHY:
NEXT GAME:
The Second Round series between the Avalanche and Blues returns to Denver for Game 5 on Wednesday night at Ball Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT.