AVALANCHE

Cale Makar’s monster week earns him NHL’s top honor

Nov 20, 2023, 2:38 PM

Cale Makar...

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar played out of his mind last week.

And the rest of the league noticed.

Makar was named the NHL’s No. 1 star for the week of Nov. 12, after he tallied eight points, including a goal and seven assists. Colorado went 3-0-0 in three games against the Kraken, Ducks and Stars.

It was three needed wins for the Avs and Makar, after they had been blown out twice in four games by the Golden Knights and Blues. Colorado flipped the script, hammering Seattle 5-1, Anaheim 8-2 and Dallas 6-3. They’re 11-5-0 on the young season.

And Makar now leads the Avalanche in points, with 24 of them in 16 games. Mikko Rantanen has 23 points and Nathan MacKinnon has 20. It’s remarkable to be led in points by a defenseman, but Makar is just that special. He’s tied for eighth overall in the NHL.

The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner (among a ton of other awards) will be out there tonight against the Predators, as the Avs look to extend their winning streak to four games and complete a perfect 2-0 road trip before returning home on Wednesday night.

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