Can a Cale Makar return clean up the Avalanche’s mess?

The Colorado Avalanche have not had the ideal start to their Western Conference Finals matchup against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. They are down 2-0, and star defenseman Cale Makar has not played at all due to an upper-body injury. However, for the Avalanche, the problems run far deeper than Makar.

During the regular season, the Avalanche were unstoppable. They only lost two of their first 40 games in regulation and won the Presidents’ Trophy for having the best record at 55-16-11. They averaged the most goals per game (3.6), had the best penalty kill (84.6%), the least amount of penalty minutes per game (7.3), and allowed the least amount of goals per game (2.4). In addition, they are led by Hart Memorial Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon, two-time Norris Trophy winner Makar, and Frank Selke nominee Brock Nelson.

It only took nine games for the Avalanche to reach the Western Conference Finals. They swept the Los Angeles Kings in round 1, and beat the Minnesota Wild in five games in round 2, including four unanswered goals in Game 5 to seal the win. They were by far the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, their second in four years.

Yet so far, the Conference Finals have been different. The power play has been sluggish. There isn’t any physical intensity. The Golden Knights have complete control of the series, and the Avalanche simply do not have an answer. During Game 1, they couldn’t get anything past Carter Hart, losing 4-2 despite a late comeback attempt. In Game 2, the Golden Knights scored three unanswered goals in nine minutes in the third period to win 3-1.

Now, can Cale Makar help fix this mess? Absolutely. However, it still will be a struggle. He clearly still isn’t 100% healthy and he can’t do it alone. The whole team needs to mentally and physically prepare itself for the next two games in Las Vegas. Martin Necas needs to get out of his offensive slump. Devon Toews needs to step up in the absence of Makar. Scott Wedgewood needs to be the 31 win goalie that they saw during the regular season.

As of now, Makar’s status for Game 3 is unknown. However, Game 3 is a do or die for the Avalanche, or else their historic season will come crashing down.

About the Author Published May 23, 2026

CAMERON JOYCE

Cameron Joyce is an NCAAF, NFL, NHL, and MLB beat writer for Ball Exclusives. Cameron also previously worked at The University of Alabama's newspaper, "The Crimson White," covering volleyball and baseball.