6 skaters who could tilt Game 4 of Lightning-Avalanche

Well, we still could have ourselves a hell of a Stanley Cup Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are back in the mix thanks to a commanding 6-2 victory Monday night. The Colorado Avalanche, who hold a 2-1 series lead, have a chance to counterpunch Wednesday night at Amalie Arena in Florida.

Aside from the goaltenders - they're inherently important to every win or loss - who could tip the scales in Game 4? Here are six suggestions.

Nathan MacKinnon

Someone who isn't paying close attention might look at MacKinnon's production (zero goals and two assists) and conclude he hasn't played up to expectations.

In reality, the Avalanche superstar has been his usual self through three games, galloping through open ice with purposeful strides and generating offensive opportunities for himself and his linemates.

MacKinnon leads all skaters in the Cup Final in shot attempts (32), shots on goal (14), and scoring chances (19), according to Natural Stat Trick. On the Avs, his 1.28 expected goals trail only Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog, who have each pitched in three goals. Overall, when MacKinnon has been on the ice this series, the Avs have outscored the Lightning 6-3.

It would be more surprising if MacKinnon didn't break through during Game 4. The ultra-competitive center is overdue for a goal, maybe two.

Ondrej Palat

He may not be a marquee name, but Palat is one of Tampa Bay's treasured assets. The 31-year-old Czech complements more talented linemates; his performance is consistent; and, as evidenced by seven game-winning goals over the past three postseasons, he's a big-moment guy.

Palat is the kind of second-tier player that clubs across the NHL wish they had at their disposal. Having started the series with two goals and a primary assist, Palat simply can't let up. The Lightning need him right now.

Key forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov are battling injury. Coach Jon Cooper said Tuesday that he's hopeful Kucherov can play in Game 4, while Point is "highly doubtful." Even if both return to the lineup, neither will be at 100% - which only increases Palat's importance.

Valeri Nichushkin

It's official: The NHL playoffs have turned into Val Nichushkin SZN. The 6-foot-4 Russian has been phenomenal for the Avs over the past seven weeks.

What began as a cute story - a 2013 first-round pick finds success in Colorado after the Dallas Stars buy him out in 2019 on the heels of a zero-goal season - has evolved into a demonstration of expertise. Nichushkin, a pending unrestricted free agent, has arguably been the most impactful skater on either team so far. He scored a goal and assisted on the winner in a tight Game 1, scored twice in a blowout Game 2, and was still effective in a Game 3 loss.

The Avs have been flat-out dominant at five-on-five in the minutes Nichushkin has been on the ice, recording 62 shot attempts to Tampa Bay's 20 while rocking an equally impressive expected goals rate (75%).

Linemates MacKinnon and Landeskog obviously contributed a great deal to those gaudy numbers. But Nichushkin's no passenger. The smart and hungry forechecker continues to use his unique combination of size, fluid skating, deft playmaking, and wicked shooting to overwhelm the opposition.

Corey Perry

Here's a very Corey Perry stat: The longtime forward is the only player in NHL history to score a goal in the Cup Final for four different clubs - the Anaheim Ducks (2007), Stars (2020), Montreal Canadiens (2021), and Lightning (2022).

Love him or hate him, Perry just won't go away. And no matter the role the 37-year-old assumes for his team - in the case of the 2022 Lightning, a gritty fourth-line forward who sees time on the power play - he brings it every night.

If Perry's Game 3 tap-in stands as his lone goal of the series, fine. The 2011 Hart Trophy winner will surely find another way to influence the outcome of nearly every game, whether it be killing time on the forecheck, feathering a pass across the crease on the power play, or drawing a penalty off the rush.

Devon Toews

We've seen Toews at his best in this series. His elite skating, so integral to Colorado's transition play, was on full display on the Avs' 3-0 goal in Game 2.

We've also seen Toews at his worst. He got danced by Kucherov on the 3-2 goal in Game 1, Anthony Cirelli beat him wide on the 1-1 goal in Game 3, and then he turned the puck over at the offensive blue line on the 2-1 goal.

Later in Game 3, Toews received a penalty for trying to take a piece out of Kucherov. The hefty cross-check eventually ended Kucherov's night, which, depending on one's rooting interest, counts as Toews at his best or at his worst.

Regardless, the Avs desperately need an A+ performance from Toews on Wednesday. He logs more than 25 minutes a game, and they can't be littered with lowlights.

Victor Hedman

What's up with Hedman?

By no means has the perennial Norris Trophy finalist been awful through three Cup Final games; however, he certainly hasn't lived up to expectations. Maybe he's hurt. Perhaps a league-high 1,717 minutes over the past three postseasons caught up to him against the high-octane Avs.

There's no statistic for misreads, but Hedman seems to be committing an unusually high number. Fortunately for the Lightning, they've managed to break even with Hedman on the ice - 4-4 at five-on-five, 5-5 in all situations.

Again, nothing about this situation screams, "Oh no!" Yet it also doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. Will Hedman, a world-class defenseman, bounce back?

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).