Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists as the Colorado Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 5-1 in Denver on Wednesday night.

It’s a years-long trend since he arrived in Denver and had a breakout season when the Avs won the Stanley Cup. Just in the years since the title, Colorado is 89-30-10 during the regular season when Nichushkin plays and 46-43-6 when he doesn’t.

Valeri Nichushkin returns to the Colorado Avalanche lineup Wednesday night for the first time in nearly two months after recovering from a lower-body injury.

The Avalanche are preparing to welcome Valeri Nichushkin back into their lineup for the first time since late December.

Valeri Nichushkin is going to return Wednesday night against the New Jersey Devils. He’s been out since Dec. 31 with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to start on the second line and the second power-play unit.

Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin, who hasn't played since Dec. 31 due to a lower-body injury, will return against the Devils on Wednesday.

The Colorado Avalanche could be getting a big boost to their forward group as they look to snap a skid coming out of the 4 Nations break.