Avalanche’s Cale Makar is in a scoring drought — and he’s running out of time to stop it

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DENVER — There he was, Cale Makar — a Stanley Cup champion, a Norris Trophy winner, a Ted Lindsay finalist, a tried and tested veteran — on the ice at Ball Arena for an optional practice on Wednesday morning, carving up the ice, working on his edges, firing pucks, really zeroing in on the little details.

What prompts a superstar to take the extra work, to go through the whole rigamarole of getting his gear on and hitting the ice, so late in a series, when rest is paramount? Was there something he saw while breaking down video? A flaw in his game that required fine-tuning, a desperate need to find the scoring touch that has made him the dominant defenseman of his era, a modern-day Bobby Orr? Was he antsy? Worried? Furious with himself for going without a point in three straight games, for having just two assists through five games, for not doing more to prevent the Colorado Avalanche’s current predicament, facing elimination in Game 6 against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night?

Well, no.

“I was just breaking in new skates today,” he said. “Trying to get out there and get the boots moving a little bit.”

OK, so Makar isn’t exactly panicking. Not about himself. Not about his team. The chances are there. The goals will come. He’s sure of it.

“It happens sometimes,” Makar said. “That’s where you’ve got to take a step back and just find the things that you’re doing well. It can be tough sledding sometimes. But at the same time, I’m not overly concerned with what I’m doing.”

For good reason. Aside from an uncharacteristically dreadful Game 2, Makar has been his usual dynamic self this series. He’s creating chances. He’s controlling the puck. He’s holding court in the offensive zone. He was the best player on the ice in Game 4. At five-on-five, he has a healthy 55.13 percent expected-goals share, and the Avalanche have out-chanced the Stars 62-42 with Makar on the ice.

But in the only stat that truly matters, the Stars have a 4-1 scoring edge with Makar on the ice this series. And Makar, who this season became the NHL’s first 30-goal defenseman since Washington’s Mike Green in 2008-09, hasn’t scored yet.

Neither has Marty Necas. Neither has Brock Nelson. Neither has Jonathan Drouin. Nathan MacKinnon has five goals. The rest of the team has six combined. Just a few days ago, the story was that Dallas’ stars weren’t stepping up. They did so in an emphatic Game 5 win.

Now, with its season on the line, it’s Colorado’s turn.

“Some of the numbers we see with the O-zone possession (are strong), but we’ve got to convert on those chances,” said Drouin, who had 37 points in 43 games this season but has just three secondary assists on power-play goals in this series, nothing at even strength. “We have the puck a lot in the O-zone, we’re creating stuff, we’re creating looks, but we’re not burying them.”

If this were the regular season, it would be nothing. Players go through stints like this all the time, when the puck won’t go in, no matter how well they feel they’re playing. And any player will tell you that as long as they’re generating chances, the goals will come. That mentality works fine over the long haul of an 82-game schedule. But in a seven-game pressure-cooker of a series, against a team as stingy and structured as the Stars, there’s no time to ride the ebbs and flows of a maddening sport. The weight of those cold spells is massive on a player’s shoulders.

The Avalanche need goals, and they need them now.

“Oh, for sure,” Drouin said. “Every chance you get in the playoffs could be the difference maker. And every mistake you make could be the difference.”

Nelson hit a couple of posts in Game 5. He’s honestly not sure if that makes him feel better (that he’s on the verge of scoring) or worse (that he can’t catch a break).

“I’ve had this at different points in the season, it’s the same conversation,” Nelson said. “It’s great to have chances, but right now, it’s amplified in maybe a more negative way, just given the situation and not having scored. With that said, stay confident that the next opportunity, you’re going to get it and you’re going to be ready and you’re going to get it to go in.”

The spotlight is harsher and the expectations are higher on Makar, of course. But as with all the greats, Makar remains his harshest critic. When Avalanche coach Jared Bednar comes to him after a game, Makar’s already got a mental laundry list of all the minor mistakes he made in the game. Even when Bednar comes to tell him he was “awesome” in a game, Makar is dwelling on the one or two plays he didn’t make. So, no, Bednar hasn’t sat his superstar down and told him he’s not pulling his weight. For one, he doesn’t believe it’s true — Bednar said “we’re overly critical of his series so far,” and said he’s expecting Makar to have “a huge game” on Thursday.

For another, Makar doesn’t need to hear it. He knows it.

“You don’t have to go to him a lot,” Bednar said. “It’s a high standard. But I do think that’s a good thing. That’s what helps make the greats the greats, right? Every play, they want to execute it perfectly. They want to see everything that’s open. That’s just not the reality. But I do think that’s helped. That’s part of what drives him to be the best.”

So no, Makar is not panicking. But that doesn’t mean he’s not self-aware.

“I’ve got to be a lot better,” he said. “I think there’s been glimpses where I’ve been pretty good. For me, it’s not always about the points, it’s about being good on both sides of the ice. It starts with myself and my feet. When I’m doing that, I feel like we can roll, especially on the back end. There’s a lot of things I can do a lot better. It’s do or die now, so we’ve got to step it up.”

He does, yes. So does Necas. So does Nelson. So does Drouin. So does goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who was chased from the net in Game 5. So does just about everybody other than MacKinnon and Logan O’Connor, who’s second on the team with five points through five playoff games.

The Avs know the stakes, and they know too many of them aren’t chipping in.

They’re just not terribly worried about it. Whether they should be or not.

“I think it’s fine,” Necas said, with no concern in his voice. “Obviously, we didn’t score yet. But I feel like we’re creating a lot. And honestly, it doesn’t matter who scores. If we win 1-0 and Blackie scores the goal tomorrow, I’ll be more than happy.”

(Photo: C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)

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