Avalanche Win Game 5 vs. Stars to Extend Series as Cale Makar Electrifies NHL Fans
Sam Hodde/Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche were able to keep their season alive with a 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night.
After both teams traded one goal each in the first and second periods, the Avs broke the game open by scoring three times in the third.
Cale Makar, who was held without a point in each of the past three games, got back on track with two goals. This was just the second multi-goal game of his postseason career. The first came in Game 2 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Makar’s first goal came on a power play in the second period to tie the score at two.
B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIce
CALE MAKAR OUT HERE JUST SENDING LASERS TO THE NET 🤯 pic.twitter.com/6NkNkIVZ2z
After Casey Mittelstadt put the Avalanche back on top early in the third period, Makar gave them some insurance with an unassisted goal that snuck right through the legs of Stars goalie Jake Oettinger.
Sportsnet @Sportsnet
Have a night Mr. Makar 🥳 pic.twitter.com/9j6WBdruUr
For helping the Avs extend the series for at least one more game, Makar was saluted by NHL fans and analysts:
Sportsnet Stats @SNstats
Cale Makar
4th defenceman in NHL history to score 20 career playoff goals prior to turning 26 years of age, joining:
Paul Coffey, Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr#GoAvsGo
Conor McGahey @ConorMcGahey
Cale Makar is now the franchise leader for game-winning goals by a defenseman.#AllHailCale #GoAvsGo
x – pesky avs @puckoffski
CALE MAKAR THE MAN THAT YOU ARE pic.twitter.com/dfhxKkeu4T
playoff avalanche warning 🚨 @morgannaanna
CALE MAKAR CALE MAKAR pic.twitter.com/aYfyJ07o6e
JazzJargon @JazzJargon
Reminder (since we are looking at defenseman in the draft) as we are watching Cale Makar right now that he was drafted 4th overall in 2017 and didn’t play until 2019 in the NHL. Defensemen, even the best, take time to develop.
Arielle Orsuto @ArielleOrsuto
Crowd laughed at a Devon Toews whiff and Cale Makar shut them right up with a five-hole beaute. That’s bestie goals right there.#goavsgo #9sports
Dude Where’s Makar @joelthesakic
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar carried the Avs tonight. Two guys who called out their own play and responded massively
It’s not a coincidence the Avs are 5-1 in these playoffs when Makar has at least one point and 0-3 when he does not. They had the best offense in the league during the regular season on the strength of Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
That trio combined for 334 points, with Makar ranking second among all defenseman in that category. His passing is one of the key driving forces behind what makes Colorado so successful.
Wednesday night saw Makar have to take matters into his own hands. It paid off great for the Avs, who also got goals MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen.
The final result is the Avalanche will have at least one more game this season. They will host the Stars in Game 6 on Friday hoping to send the series back to Dallas for a winner-take-all showdown on Sunday.
