Cale Makar Must Step Up With Avalanche Facing Elimination

Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar is the near-unanimous choice for the best defenseman in the league, and as the likely Norris Trophy winner this season, that won't change any time soon.

What does need to change, however, is his play in the Avalanche's first-round series against the Dallas Stars.

Makar, who scored 92 points (30 goals, 62 assists) in 80 games this season and has scored a point per game or more in each of the past five seasons, has been uncharacteristically quiet in this series. He has just two points (both assists) in five games, and has not scored in the past three games. This is just the second time in his NHL career that he's gone three-straight games without a point.

With the Avalanche facing elimination in Game 6 on Thursday night, Makar knows he has to get back on track quickly.

"I've got to be a lot better," Makar said, per NHL.com. "I think there's been glimpses where I've been pretty good, and again, for me, it's not always about the points. It's about being good on both sides of the ice, and it starts with myself and my feet. I think when I'm doing that, I feel like we can roll, especially on the back end, so I think there's a lot of things that I can do a lot better, and it's do-or-die now, so we've got to step it up."

It's not just that Makar is struggling to produce points. He also has a minus-4 rating in the past three games, including a minus-3 rating in Game 5 alone. While he often gets attention for his scoring prowess, he's also very solid on the defensive end, but that hasn't been the case in this series.

There is a bit of a silver lining, however. The only other time Makar went three-straight games without a point came in last year's second-round series against the Stars, and he also had a minus-6 rating in that stretch. He stepped up when his team needed him, though, scoring two goals in Game 5 to help the Avalanche earn a 5-3 road victory and stave off elimination.

The Avalanche hope for a similar performance at home on Thursday as they look to keep their season alive.