Avalanche aim to finish West final vs. Oilers without Kadri

EDMONTON, Alberta — Nazem Kadri is a major reason the Colorado Avalanche are one win away from the franchise’s first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in more than two decades.

They’ll have to take that step without him.

Kadri is out for at least the rest of the Western Conference final against the Edmonton Oilers after being injured on an illegal hit by Evander Kane in Game 3. The Avalanche are up 3-0 and go for the sweep Monday night in Edmonton.

“He’s out for the series, possibly longer,” coach Jared Bednar said Sunday. “We should find that out in the next few days. My thoughts are the same on the hit: It’s a dangerous hit.”

On Sunday, the NHL suspended Kane for Game 4.

The Oilers are looking to become just the fifth team in league history to win a series after falling behind 3-0.

Veteran defenseman Duncan Keith, who played for Chicago in 2011 when the Blackhawks erased a 3-0 deficit before losing to Vancouver in seven games, said the pressure now shifts to Colorado.

“Not a lot of people are expecting us to do much now, so we’ll just go play hockey and do what we’ve done all year,” Keith said. “Take it one game at a time, one day at a time and anything can happen.”

Assuming the Avalanche don’t join the dubious list of teams to blow a 3-0 lead and lose a best-of-seven series, they could be without Kadri for part or all of the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers or back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

That would be a significant blow given that Kadri has made a case for Conn Smythe Trophy consideration as playoff MVP. He scored six goals and added eight assists in 13-plus games before getting injured Saturday night.

Kadri didn’t return after Kane sent him crashing left arm-first into the boards