Colorado Avalanche's Nazem Kadri records hat trick in Game 4 to push St. Louis Blues to brink of elimination

Avalanche center Nazem Kadri, who was the subject of racist attacks and threats following his injurious collision with Blues goalie Jordan Binnington in Saturday's Game 3, tallied a hat trick in Colorado's 6-3 Game 4 win on Monday night, pushing St. Louis to the brink of elimination.

Kadri scored two goals in the second period during an Avalanche rally that saw them tally four goals in 4 minutes and 53 seconds for a 4-1 lead. The second of those goals came right after a Colorado 5-on-3 power play that Kadri drew, after Pavel Buchnevich hit him after the whistle and David Perron cross-checked him to the ice.

He completed the hat trick at 9:38 of the third period, beating goalie Ville Husso and extending the Colorado lead back to two goals after the Blues had cut it to 4-3. Kadri later assisted on Mikko Rantanen's empty-netter for a four-point night.

«For those who hate, that one is for them,» Kadri told TNT after the game.

Husso started Game 4 after Binnington suffered a lower-body injury just six minutes and 45 seconds into the first period of Game 3, when Kadri and Blues defenseman Calle Rosen crashed into Binnington chasing a loose puck.

There was no penalty called on Kadri on the play. The NHL Department of Player Safety determined there was no supplemental discipline necessary for him.

After Game 3, Blues coach Craig Berube questioned Kadri's role in the injury.

«Look at Kadri's reputation. That's all I've got to say,» he said of Kadri, who has multiple postseason suspensions, including an eight-game ban for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk in the 2021 playoffs.

On Sunday, hockey player Akim Aliu tweeted that he had spoken to Kadri and that the Avalanche center «has been subject to so