In a wild turn of events, Nazem Kadri dials up the intensity during his pre-game skate and looks pretty good
Honestly, I'm not too sure what to think of the Nazem Kadri situation anymore. Earlier Monday afternoon, it was reported by The Hockey News' Mikey Stephens that Kadri had been spotted walking into Amalie Arena in Tampa sporting a cast on his injured hand, leading many to believe that he's unlikely to suit up on Monday or Wednesday for the Avs.
Kadri did take to the ice ahead of his teammates to work on his shot as he continues to rehab his injured thumb. As you can see from the video below, Naz didn't have much steam behind his shot, which only fueled the idea that he'd be out of the lineup for Game 3.
However, throughout his skate, Kadri appeared to pick up the intensity and was skating and shooting with a little more purpose, perhaps testing his limits with his surgically repaired thumb in an attempt to prove to the medical staff that he is good to go. I don't know about you, but he looks pretty sharp here..
Whether Kadri plays or not, the Avs have been playing some incredible hockey in these playoffs and especially in the Finals, owning a 2-0 series lead over the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning. It does appear though that he is pushing as hard as he can to get back into the lineup. I'm still skeptical that he plays tonight, but perhaps Wednesday is a possibility.
