Kadri suspended eight games, out for Avalanche starting with Game 3

The Colorado Avalanche center was disciplined for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup First Round at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday.

The incident occurred with 13:34 remaining in the third period. Kadri was given a match penalty at 6:30.

Kadri’s suspension began with Game 3 at St. Louis on Friday. Colorado leads the best-of-7 series 2-0.

“Nothing changes for us,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Friday. “Our goal is to play a complete 60 minutes. I thought we did a lot of real good things in Game 1 and Game 2, but we didn’t play a full 60 to the standard that we’ve set for our team.”

If the term of the suspension is not fully served during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the remaining games will be served at the beginning of the 2021-22 regular season.

This is the third time Kadri has been suspended in the postseason. When playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was suspended three games for boarding Boston Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in Game 1 of the 2018 Eastern Conference First Round. He also was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 first round for cross-checking Boston forward Jake DeBrusk in Game 2.

With Kadri out, Tyson Jost could move up from the third line and center the second line with Andre Burakovsky and Valeri Nichushkin.

Carl Soderberg, who hasn’t played since May 10, will enter the lineup and likely play on the fourth line. The 35-year-old center scored 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 45 regular-season games, including two assists in 11 games with Colorado after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on April 12.

“Soderberg’s going to come into the lineup. Why? He’s a veteran guy, plays real well in St. Louis,” Bednar said. “He’s the next man up in my opinion, so he’s coming into the lineup.”

Faulk, who did not return in Game 2, will not play for St. Louis on Friday.

“Our focus now is onto Game 3, just putting together our best game, our best foot forward and trying to get into this series here,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “That’s our goal right now. Whoever we have in the lineup, we’re going to step up and give ourselves a chance to win.”