The Cale Makar era was headed for a reality check. Despite the top-drawer talent level and cool demeanor, a letdown of some kind felt inevitable Friday.
After all, everything had been a little too rosy for Makar and the Colorado Avalanche since the smooth-skating defenseman left UMass for the pro ranks two weeks ago. Three straight wins over the Calgary Flames, highlight-reel rushes, one goal, one assist, and at least one hilarious in-arena kale sighting.
Then, the Avs met the Sharks in Game 1 of the second round, and lost 5-2. A victory seemed out of reach for Colorado around the midway point of the game, as Brent Burns and San Jose's third line of Joe Thornton, Marcus Sorensen, and Kevin Labanc dominated the scoresheet.
Makar finished the game with negative Corsi and Expected Goals ratings for the first time in his incredibly young career. While he generated offense close to his usual rate, the 5-foot-11, 187-pounder was on for his first-ever goal against. The puck actually deflected off Makar's upper-body and past Colorado goalie Philipp Grubauer to make it 4-1 San Jose.
In short, Makar wasn't at his best on Friday. That being said, he was still spectacular in certain moments. Special players find a way to affect the outcome of the game, regardless of their challenges with execution and luck.
It is such a small thing on the surface, but check out how poised Makar is with the puck when he's breaking out of the Avs zone at the end of the first period:
He dumps the puck into San Jose's end at the red line only because it was time to make a line change. When Makar isn't gassed, 99 times out of 100 that head-turning rush through the netural zone continues all the way to Martin Jones' kitchen. He loves to take control and create in transition, rarely taking his foot off the gas. As a viewer, it's difficult to take your eyes off No. 8.
For evidence, look no further than Makar's first shift of the game, when he entered the zone with possession and fired a backhand over the Sharks net. On his way back to the point, the 20-year-old gathered a loose puck and threw it at Jones, hoping for a deflection. The Avs opened the scoring two seconds later, with Makar picking up his second primary assist of the playoffs:
But the roller-coaster ride continued a few minutes later, when Makar gave the puck away in his own end, gifting the Sharks a prime scoring opportunity a few feet from Grubauer. Not ideal. And then, late in the third period, he turned the puck over again, this time on the halfwall in his own end while under pressure. Luckily for Makar, Samuel Girard bailed him out with a shot block:
Makar was chosen fourth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft and, in flashes, he looks every bit as good as Miro Heiskanen, who was picked two spots ahead. Hockey fans were already spoiled with four elite 22-and-under blueliners - Heiskanen, Rasmus Dahlin, Quinn Hughes, and Thomas Chabot - and now there appears to be a fifth member of that tier. Makar is as advertised.
Avs coach Jared Bednar is certainly on board, giving Makar second-unit power play time already and 18 minutes a night overall. Ever-confident with the puck on his stick, the Calgary native has three total points to his name, and, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, is helping Colorado to a 59% Corsi rating when he's on the ice at 5-on-5.
Bumps along the way noted, Makar's fitting in just fine. Must see TV, too.
Mrazek over Lehner, barely
The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes grinding Game 1 into a pile of dust was the least surprising development from Friday's double billing.
For the vast majority of the ‘Canes 1-0 overtime win, the neutral zone was a death trap. Offensive players had no choice but to chip and chase as they approached the attacking blue line. Even when an opponent watched from the penalty box, there was no shot barrage. Both power plays were abysmal.
Yet, strangely, the series opener had its fair share of edge-of-your-seat moments. Scoring chances, as rare as they were, seemed to exclusively come on breakaways, or partial breaks. And the netminders, Carolina's Petr Mrazek and New York's Robin Lehner, were most definitely up to the task, both making a handful of stops requiring extreme flexibility and/or quick reflexes.
The Isles typically generate the bulk of their offense from between the dots, rarely shooting from the perimeter. Friday was no exception. Here's a sample:
Mrazek with yet another save. A goal will come... eventually pic.twitter.com/JqKs6BkdTy
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) April 27, 2019
The margin of error was minuscule over the game's 64 minutes. Lehner faced one extra shot on goal than Mrazek, and that shot was the difference. Carolina center Jordan Staal buried a loose puck that popped out from behind the Isles' net. Lehner called it a "shit bounce" in his postgame media availability.
If Game 1 is any indication, this series could easily stretch to six or seven games. The style of play will not only be strongly tied to effective team defense but also to the battle in goal. Is Sunday's Game 2 for Lehner?
John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.
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