Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Cale Makar sparks Avalanche to go up 3-1 in series vs. Jets

By Paul Harris | Last updated 4/28/24

Valeri Nichushkin got the hat trick on Sunday but Cale Makar was the difference for the Colorado Avalanche.

Maybe the best defenseman in the NHL had a big hand in turning a tie into a two-goal Avalanche lead in less than four minutes in Colorado's 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Ball Arena to give the Avalanche a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round series.

The series shifts to Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg for Tuesday's Game 5 at 9:30 p.m. ET.

With the score tied 1-1 in the second period, Makar's wrist shot from just inside the blue line was tipped in by Nichushkin to make it 2-1 with 8:24 left in the middle period.

But Makar was just getting warmed up.

Less than 3:30 later, Makar showed off his ridiculous skating ability and puck-handling prowess after picking the puck up from behind his own net. He made a creative move to flip it past the Jets Adam Lowry and capped off the mad dash by beating Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a shot from the right circle to make it 3-1 with 4:57 remaining in the period.

That's called taking the puck coast-to-coast, folks. And it does not happen often in a National Hockey League game, let alone a Stanley Cup playoff game.

Not to downplay the efforts of Nichushkin — who scored with 24 seconds left in the second period and completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal with 13 seconds remaining — but Makar basically won the game for Colorado in that second-period sequence.

Artturi Lehkonen also scored for the Avalanche and Nate Schmidt got the Jets goal.

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