Makar’s heroices led to OT win over Jets
After taking down the Winnipeg Jets in overtime Friday, the Avalanche moved within a win of tying its single- season club record of 52 wins, shared by the 2000- 01 and 2013- 14 teams.
Win No. 51 was a wild one in Winnipeg — one that demanded late heroics from Cale Makar to finally claim the 5- 4 victory.
Avs winger Mikko Rantanen took a costly late cross- checking penalty which the Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers capitalized on to force overtime, but Ehlers was penalized for slashing 45 seconds into OT and Makar made him pay.
Makar scored his 25th goal of the season with four seconds remaining on the man- advantage to improve Colorado’s league- best record to 51- 14- 6.
The Avs, who took a five- game winning streak into Edmonton on Saturday night, are down to 10 games in the regular season schedule.
Here are five takeaways: Presidential race. The Florida Panthers, who are to the Eastern Conference what the Avs are to the Western Conference, rallied to defeat Buffalo earlier Friday to tie the Avs with league- high 106 points. But Colorado then climbed to 108 — third- most in club history — by beating the Jets.
The President’s Trophy winin ner for the NHL’S best record carries home- ice advantage throughout the playoffs. It would be the second straight advantage for the Avs, who took the top spot in last year’s shortened 56- game season. Look for even more backandforth between the two teams over their final 10 games.
Byram settling in. Avs rookie Bo Byram logged 18: 12 — fourthmost in the six- man blueline — and assisted on winger Andre Burakovsky’s goal to tie it 2- 2 early in the third period. Byram, 20, spent time with Makar on the first pairing and Josh Manson on the second.
It was Byram’s second game after being on personal leave for nearly three months because of re- occurring head issues. His addition helps like- minded defenseman Sam Girard continue to recover from a month- long absence because of a back injury.
If Colorado has all of its defensemen available, Girard might step in on the third pairing with Erik Johnson and make all three pairings left shot/ right shot combinations. That would leave lefties Jack Johnson, Kurtis Macdermid and Ryan Murray — who is on the mend from an arm injury — solid depth choices if someone the top- six goes down.
Mr. Makar. The 23- year- old was already the Avs’ all- time singleseason goal scorer among defensemen, and his one- time slap shot off Rantanen’s circle- to- circle feed got him within four goals of the most tallies by an NHL defenseman since Brent Burns had 29 in 2016- 17.
Makar, who played a gamehigh 27: 02 against the Jets, is among just four defensemen to reach 25 goals in a season since 2002- 03. Mike Green had 31 in 2008- 09. Burns also had 27 in 2015- 16. And Sheldon Souray had 26 in 2006- 07.
Makar also had an assist Friday to give him 52 going into Saturday night, tying Ray Bourque ( 2000- 01) for the club record by defensemen.
Above the Jets. Colorado is now 3- 0- 0 against Winnipeg with the final game of the series set for April 24 at Canada Life Center. The Avs have not swept a season series against the Jets since the franchise moved to Winnipeg in 2011.
Another 20. Burakovsky’s goal was his 20th of the season, matching his career- best set with the Avs in 2019- 20. He is the sixth Avalanche player to reach 20 goals this season, the secondmost of any NHL team ( St. Louis, seven).
The last time the Avalanche had six 20- goal scorers was in 2005- 06.