Makar’s play in Western 1st Round no surprise to Avalanche teammates

DENVER -- Cale Makar took control of the puck behind his net, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman losing it before quickly regaining control near Winnipeg Jets forward Tyler Toffoli. He never broke stride, skated to the right circle and beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck on a jaw-dropping goal at 15:03 of the second period.

“I mean, it was a little bit of a lucky one. It was kind of bobbing around the net. They got a couple sticks on it, and I was lucky enough that it hit my shin pad or my pants,” Makar said after the Avalanche’s 5-1 win against the Jets in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round at Ball Arena on Sunday.

“Our forwards kind of pushed back their [defensemen] pretty far, so gap-wise I just tried to carry it over the line and just tried to throw it at the net. A little bit lucky.”

OK, maybe a tad lucky. But at the same time, Makar pulling off highlight-reel goals has become commonplace. His goal in Game 4 that gave the Avalanche a 3-1 lead was just the latest installment in a young NHL career full of memorable moments.

His work has helped put the Avalanche on the verge of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series and get their first chance to advance in Game 5 at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SNW, ALT, ESPN).

Makar leads the Avalanche with eight points (two goals, six assists) in four games; only Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has more (10 points; one goal, nine assists). Makar is the second defenseman in NHL history with eight points through four playoff games multiple times (also in 2022), joining Hall of Famer Bobby Orr, who did it in 1971 and 1972.

He’s been a big part of Colorado’s production, which leads the NHL in the playoffs with 5.50 goals per game. The Avalanche led the League in the regular season with 3.68 goals per game.

“I don't think many of us are surprised anymore,” Colorado defenseman Sean Walker said. “You kind of see him getting a head of steam and starting to attack guys, you know something special could happen every time. So, you’re just kind of waiting for it to happen, right?

“But I don't think there's really anyone else in the League that does it the way he does. Just such a good skater, such good hands, and then the way he can shoot the puck is with the best of them. So, it's really fun to watch.”

Makar is on a six-game point streak (three goals, eight assists) dating back to the regular season, which began when he had a goal and an assist at the Vegas Golden Knights on April 14.

The 25-year-old’s goal Sunday not only had social media buzzing but Makar’s teammates as well, even if they didn’t see it live.

“Saw it after on replay, and then I realized how good it was. And I think 'Taser' (Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews) said it yesterday, he's the best in the world,” Avalanche forward Casey Mittelstadt said. “So yeah, pretty self-explanatory.”

Makar has been a strong playoff performer since making his NHL debut with the Avalanche in the 2019 postseason, when he had six points (one goal, five assists) in 10 games. He has 73 points (18 goals, 55 assists) in 65 playoff games, and his 18 goals tie him with Sandis Ozolinsh for most in a postseason by a defenseman in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history.

“It's a blessing, really, to get to watch the best player in the League, best [defenseman] in the League go out there every night and do the things he does,” Walker said. “So, I'd like to say I wish I could bring some of that to my game, but I think it's something that some guys have, some guys don't. And he's one of the guys that’s got it.”

Makar is one of the most dynamic players in the League on a team that has its share of them. The Avalanche, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2022, are in a position to try and get back there again this season.

But they’re not getting ahead of themselves. The first step would be eliminating the Jets.

“It just goes back to the mentality of our team. I feel like we’ve been really good lately just in working well and also just staying right in the moment and not looking too far ahead,” Makar said.

“It’s the hardest game of the season when you’ve got to end a team’s year. We’ve got to go into it with the same mindset and make sure that everyone is on the same page, because obviously they’re going to give us everything they’ve got.”

NHL.com independent correspondent Ryan Boulding contributed to this report