Hurricanes’ Alexander Nikishin cleared to play ahead of Game 3 vs. Flyers
The Carolina Hurricanes will get a boost to their lineup, as defenseman Alexander Nikishin is cleared to play in Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Canes head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
Nikishin had missed the first two games of the Hurricanes’ second-round series after sustaining a concussion in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. The injury came from a hit when Nikishin was looking to clear the puck during a stretch of sustained pressure in the Carolina zone, but was unable to as Kleven pinched and went for a hit. Nikishin was slow to get up from the hit and was in a daze when he finally did, a clear sign he was concussed.
While no one wants to get a concussion, the timing worked out well for Nikishin, as the injury occurred during the game which saw the Hurricanes sweep the Senators. As a result, he was injured for a week and a half, but only missed two games due to the time Carolina got off while waiting for the Flyers to finish up their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Nikishin is coming off of a great rookie season, one that saw him score 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 81 games before going pointless in four playoff games thus far. He likely won’t be a finalist for the Calder Trophy, but he may still receive some recognition on some ballots for his performance.
While the lineup for Game 3 on Thursday has yet to be confirmed, if Nikishin were to draw into the lineup, it will likely be on the third pair alongside Shayne Gostisbehere. The duo have already played 49:33 together during the playoffs, outscoring the competition 2-1 with a 62.59% 5v5 score-adjusted expected goal share. They also played 323:34 together in the regular season, outscoring their competition 18-15 with a 53.87% 5v5 expected goal share.
This would also assume that Mike Reilly would draw out of the lineup for Nikishin’s return. Reilly had one goal and eight assists for nine points in 42 games this season, as well as two assists in two playoff games.
The Hurricanes will hope Nikishin’s return can help them put a stranglehold on their second round series and take a 3-0 series lead when they visit Philadelphia for Game 3 on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.