Makar Turns a Close Game Into a Clear Win
Two goals and a playmaking night from Colorado’s top blueliner sparked the Avs when the game hung in the balance
Cale Makar took an even game and turned it into a decisive win by finishing chances and sparking scoring runs that Calgary couldn’t match.
He finished the night with 2 goals and 1 assist, showing up as the primary finisher when Colorado needed twine. Those finishes came during heavy involvement — he averaged 21.4 minutes of ice time per game this span — so he wasn’t a peripheral scorer; he was the top mover who influenced the matchup across situations.
Makar’s finishing was backed by his playmaking: he chipped in on the power play for a point, and his presence pushed Colorado’s on-ice expected goals advantage, helping the team tilt the chance quality gap in its favor while he was out there. In plain terms: when Makar touched the puck the play tilted toward Colorado scoring, and he delivered himself, converting chances the Flames couldn’t answer. That kind of two-way impact from the top pairing turned a close contest into a comfortable victory and illustrated why Makar is the Avalanche’s go-to difference-maker.