Makar’s return not enough, Avalanche pushed to brink in Game 3 of Western Final

LAS VEGAS -- Cale Makar made an immediate impact in his return to the lineup on Sunday, but it wasn't enough for the Colorado Avalanche, who squandered a three-goal lead in a 5-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena.

For the first period, though, you could feel Makar's effect.

Thanks in part to the return of the two-time Norris Trophy winner (2021-22, 2024-25), who missed the first two games of the series with an upper-body injury, Colorado was quickly able to jump out to a 3-0 lead on a goal from Gabriel Landeskog at 3:21, another from Nazem Kadri at 7:03, and short-handed marker from Jack Drury at 13:15.

Makar finished with a game-high 27:14 of ice time, three shots on goal, and a game-high six blocked shots.

“Cale was good,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “He came back and did the things you kind of expect him to do and the areas you know he can help you: the O-zone play, hanging onto the puck at the blue line, creating shooting lanes, attacking downhill, and he’s good on the defending side of it, too, in the puck-moving out of the zone and the regroups."

That puck-moving ability was on display early, as Makar helped the Avalanche get the puck out of their zone and generate second waves of attack offensively. Those waves seemed to catch the Golden Knights off guard in the first, and it also freed up defense partner Devon Toews, who created the opportunity that led to Landeskog's opening goal.

“The biggest difference I noticed for us tonight is the blue line ability and being able to help create some scoring chances against a team that is good in their coverage up top and make it difficult up top to find shooting lanes," Bednar said. "(Makar) has the feet to be able to find the shot and the ability to help us in that area, which he did a lot tonight.”

Despite having its difference-maker back in the lineup, the tide still shifted for Colorado early in the second period.

Mark Stone scored on a power play 19 seconds in, William Karlsson added a second at 4:05, and Keegan Kolesar tied the game 3-3 with a redirection in front that bounced past Scott Wedgewood and sat on the goal line before the Vegas forward knocked it into the net to tie it 3-3 at 12:46.

Just like that, any momentum gained by Makar's return was just as quickly lost.

“Our season is on the line,” Makar said. “So, our mentality's been like that and should have been like that today. I felt like it was desperate at times, but as I said, it was just that we gave them a couple too many opportunities. They capitalized on that.

"I wish I could have done a little bit more. I definitely was a passenger for a bit tonight, but yeah, we’ve got to find a way to weather (second period) it better.”

Colorado took another hit at 12:15 of the second when star forward Nathan MacKinnon was dropped by a shot from Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore.

MacKinnon had to be helped off the ice with an apparent right leg injury. He gutted it out for two more shifts before the end of the second and four in the third, but it was obvious the reigning Maurice Richard Trophy winner was laboring.

“It’s tough, he sells out for a shot block, and unfortunately it's obviously because of a bad turnover from us,” Makar said. “And then just giving them those opportunities in the first place, so shouldn’t happen."

But it did, and to cap it off Tomas Hertl scored on a great individual effort at 8:21 of the third period to give Vegas a 4-3 lead. Brett Howden then scored into an empty net at 19:01 for the 5-3 final. 

Now in order to advance, the Avalanche will have to climb out of a hole only four teams -- the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, and 2014 Los Angeles Kings -- have been able to overcome, a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-7 series.

Their first step in that journey will be here in Game 4 on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

“Everyone’s down in the dumps right now and that’s what the next 36 hours are for, to get our team back and make sure our focus is in the right place,” Bednar said. “It seems like a tough hill to climb, too, obviously especially against a tough team like Vegas. You just have to break it down, a shift at a time, five at a time, a period at time, a game at time. ... If they have a push, then we have to push back. We just have to break it down now, chip away at it.”