Cale Makar trying to get back on scoring track as Avalanche face elimination against Stars
'I'm not worried about him,' Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of Makar. 'I think he's going to bounce back with a huge game for us tomorrow.'
Makar sets the bar high when it comes to scoring expectations. He entered the first-round series averaging 1.11 points per playoff game, which was the second-highest mark among blue liners in Stanley Cup history. Only Hall of Fame defenseman Bobby Orr had a higher average (1.24).
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The 26-year-old Makar is coming off a regular season in which he had 30 goals and 62 assists. He's just the ninth different defenseman in NHL history to score at least 30 goals.
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In recent days, the honors have poured in for Makar. He's a finalist for the Norris Trophy, an award given to the blue liner voted the best at his position.
On Wednesday, Makar, along with teammate Nathan MacKinnon and the Lightning's Nikita Kucherov, were announced as finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award. It's an award given to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players' Association.
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He appreciates the recognition. But he's focused on Game 6.
'Honestly, I've got to be a lot better,' Makar said. 'There have been glimpses where I've been pretty good. . . . There's a lot of things I can do a lot better. It's do-or-die now, so we've got to step it up.'
Makar's not alone as the defensive-minded Stars have locked up the high-flying Avalanche. New forward additions Martin Necas and Brock Nelson have yet to find the back of the net in the series. Same goes for Jonathan Drouin, while Valeri Nichushkin only has one goal.
'Pressure is a privilege, and you earn that pressure,' Bednar said. 'Pressure, a lot of times, can drive the best out of your team.'
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