Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar’s three-assist performance in Game 3 was equal parts dazzling and routine. His playoff heroics, it seems, are now expected.
“We’re kind of used to Cale stepping up at important times for us,” coach Jared Bednar said.
The Avs, facing a rash of postseason injuries against the Stars, need Makar’s magic more than ever.
Colorado defenseman Nikita Zadorov, after being checked hard into the boards by Dallas forward Jamie Benn, missed the third period of the team’s 6-4 win from the Edmonton bubble — stretching thin an already downtrodden D-corps with Erik Johnson out indefinitely.