Valeri Nichushkin missed the Colorado Avalanche’s 5-2 win Monday afternoon after being involved in a car accident on his way to Ball Arena. Avs coach Jared Bednar said it was a multi-car accident and Nichushkin sustained minor injuries. “He came to the rink and got checked out. Everything seems to be OK, just not good enough to play today,” Bednar said. “Just a little bit of a precautionary day and we’ll see what tomorrow brings for him. “It was a fender bender, but serious enough to keep him out of the lineup tonight. … The roads were icy when the guys were coming in this morning and slick and there was a multiple-vehicle accident.” Nichushkin has 11 goals and 27 points in 38 games for the Avs this season. Colorado recalled Alex Barre-Boulet to replace him from the Colorado Eagles in the lineup. It was a tight window, but Barre-Boulet was able to get to Ball Arena from Loveland in time for warmups. Related Articles Avalanche coach Jared Bednar’s message to his team: ‘We have to dig in’ Lightning coach Jon Cooper knows what Avalanche needs — a little adversity | Journal Jared Bednar not happy after Avalanche’s 7-3 loss: “I hated that game from start to finish” For Avalanche rookie Gavin Brindley, production slump hasn’t meant a dip in performance Avalanche players still keep an eye on former teams: ‘You pay attention to your buddies’ “I think we let him know about 50 minutes before the guys were supposed to be here, which is two hours before the game,” Bednar said. “So it was under three hours before the game, and he got here just in time.” The Avs are scheduled to practice Tuesday at Family Sports Center and play again Wednesday night at home against the Anaheim Ducks. Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis. ...read more read less