For Colorado Avalanche fans, this series has been painful — frustrating, disheartening, and at times, infuriating. And now, with Game 6 looming at Ball Arena and the team trailing the Dallas Stars 3-2 in the first-round series, a familiar rallying cry is beginning to stir.
That cry? Cale Makar is not done yet.
The Norris Trophy finalist and widely beloved face of the franchise returned to practice Wednesday with a sense of renewed purpose. Donning a fresh pair of skates and an unmistakable intensity, Makar didn’t shy away from the reality: his performance hasn’t met expectations. He’s scoreless through five games, with just two assists, and far from the explosive, game-changing force Avalanche fans have come to rely on.
“Honestly, I’ve got to be a lot better,” Makar said bluntly. “There have been glimpses where I’ve been okay, but in a series like this, glimpses aren’t enough. It’s do-or-die now — and I know what I need to bring.”
The Face of the Fight
For all his accolades — a 30-goal regular season (a feat matched by only eight other defensemen in NHL history), Norris and Ted Lindsay award nominations, and a career playoff points-per-game average second only to Bobby Orr — Makar is judging himself by higher standards.
He’s not alone in his struggles. Newcomers Martin Necas and Brock Nelson have yet to score. Valeri Nichushkin has just one goal. Jonathan Drouin has been invisible. The high-flying Avalanche have been grounded by the disciplined, suffocating play of the Stars, who have shown the same resilience and grit that sent Colorado packing in last year’s playoffs — also in Game 6, also in Denver.
But this isn’t last year. And if you ask the players, especially Makar, there’s still a storm coming.
“Pressure is a Privilege”
Head coach Jared Bednar remains confident in his core leaders, especially No. 8.
“I’m not worried about him,” Bednar said of Makar. “He sets high standards for himself — higher than anyone else does. I think he’s going to come out with a huge game for us tomorrow.”
The Avalanche will need nothing short of that. The Stars, led by veterans like Matt Duchene and former Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen — who joined Dallas via Carolina in a midseason trade — are hunting for the kill. They’ve closed out series in Denver before. In fact, they’ve won four of their last five postseason games at Ball Arena.
“We know it’s tough in that building,” Duchene said. “But we’ve done it before. We’d love to end it tomorrow and not take this back to Game 7.”
Do-or-Die Hockey
There’s no denying the stakes. This is more than a game — it’s a test of identity for a franchise that lifted the Stanley Cup just three years ago, now flirting with back-to-back first-round exits.
“It’s desperation. It’s pride. It’s fear, hunger — everything,” said Brock Nelson. “It’s a matter of taking all of that and channeling it in the right way. We have to play like there’s no tomorrow — because there isn’t.”
The weight is heavy. But the hope, however fragile, still lingers.
For many Avalanche fans — those who have supported the team through its rebuild, its 2022 championship, and now its turbulent playoff disappointments — Makar remains the symbol of belief. He’s not just a star. He’s their star. And if he truly has one more gear left to find, Game 6 is where legends are born.
“I’m ready,” Makar said with a quiet edge. “We all are.”
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