The Stanley Cup almost always includes injury drama.
Hockey players play through injuries all the time, which can make it confusing to figure out how hurt each player is and how much they can contribute to the team if they're cleared.
Heading into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, there are significant injuries on both sides that could make a dramatic impact on the game.
Lightning star Nikita Kucherov was injured in Game 3 after a collision with Colorado's Devon Toews. Kucherov came out for the ensuing power play and then left for the locker room late in the third period.
Kucherov currently leads the team in points throughout the postseason with 26 in 20 games. The next closest is Ondrej Palat with 19 points.
Kucherov is a crucial player for the Bolts.
"As I sit right now, I think he can play tomorrow," Lightning coach Jon Cooper told the media on Tuesday. "But I'm not Kuch. If I know Kuch, he's sitting there saying the same thing. But we'll see what the doctors and everybody says."
Kucherov missed 32 games earlier this season with what appeared to be an abdominal/groin injury. He's now dealing with another lower-body injury.
Another Bolts star, Brayden Point, missed Game 3 as he deals with a nagging injury that he suffered in the first round of the playoffs. Cooper classified him as "doubtful" for Game 4.
On the other side, the Colorado Avalanche are hoping to get center-man Nazem Kadri back in the lineup. Kadri had surgery on his hand during the Western Conference Finals after a collision with Evander Kane.
After previously being ruled unlikely to return for the Stanley Cup, Kadri has been steadily progressing during practice over the last week.
"He's been making some nice progress," Avs head coach Jared Bednar told the media on Tuesday. "He's back on the ice again today. He's going to join the guys out there for the skate right now, with some of the extras and some of the guys that want to get a little bit of work. He seems to be getting better every day. I believe that he is an option for us at some point here. I'm not sure how soon."
Kadri finished third on the team in points during the regular season with 87 in 71 games. He had 14 points in 13 games during the postseason before going out with an injury.
Game 4 is a virtual pick 'em on the moneyline at most sportsbooks. Using the Action Network odds board, the best line for the Avs is at -106 at SugarHouse/Barstool/BetRivers while the best line for the Lightning is -105 at DraftKings.
