In a season full of superlatives, here’s another one: The Colorado Avalanche has passed the Valeri Nichushkin test.

Nichushkin will return to the lineup Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks at Ball Arena after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. In recent years, losing Nichushkin’s services has been a significant detriment for the Avs.

It was not an issue for this Avalanche team, which has been a juggernaut through the first 25 games of the season.

Shots on goal are harder to come by in the NHL these days, but not for the Colorado Avalanche

"Depth, (more) healthy around him," Avs coach Jared Bednar said. "We like the lines we have and the depth we have. The back end has been solid. The goalies have been playing good. I think it's a little bit of everything, but o

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