NEW YORK — Cale Makar was denied a hat trick Sunday afternoon. He won the game for the Colorado Avalanche anyway.
Makar came out of the penalty box, picked off a pass and set up Artturi Lehkonen with 14.7 seconds left in the third period for the winning goal in a wild 5-4 victory for the Avs against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been as nervous in a penalty box scenario before,” Makar said. “It was a weird angle for me because I was just trying to get back in the play, then (Lehkonen) was able to jump and made a great play.”
Every game can’t be a referendum on the Mikko Rantanen trade, a stunning move Friday night that shook everyone in the organization. But this performance might bolster more hope that life without “Moose” could work out for the Avalanche.
Martin Necas had two assists, nearly scored twice himself and excelled on the top line. Jack Drury scored a goal and centered a new-look depth line while all 12 Avs forwards played more than 10 minutes, a departure from the usual top-heavy distribution.
The Avs did run out of gas in this game, which was the second matinee in as many days after the trade. That led to a dominant third period from the Rangers and nearly a gut-punch loss.
Instead, it was a big step forward.
“It really would have sucked losing, going 0-2 (without Rantanen),” Nathan MacKinnon said. “Just want to get that out of the way after a huge change like this. It feels good.”
The Avs had just three shots on goal in the third period, including one in the final 10:44. Down a goal and given a reprieve when Makar’s potential hat-trick tally was wiped off the board early in the third, the Rangers made a huge push. Artemi Panarin tied the game with 4:58 remaining, and New York had its chance on the power play.
Mackenzie Blackwood allowed four goals for only the second time since arriving in a trade six weeks ago, but he made several big stops to help prevent a collapse.
“We did some dumb stuff and it cost us, so we’ve got to clean up a few things,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “But I thought we got good contributions throughout our lineup, and to be able to stick with it and end it that way was nice.”
Drury scored his first goal with the club to get a flurry of four goals in fewer than three minutes started. He deflected a Keaton Middelton shot at 5:43 of the first period. It was Middelton’s first career NHL point as well.
The new-look top line authored a beautiful team goal to make it a 2-0 lead. Jonathan Drouin collected an outlet pass from Samuel Girard near center ice and dropped it off to MacKinnon. The reigning league MVP started to fall near the offensive blue line but sent a pass to Necas, with Drouin executing a perfect dummy in between them to open more space.
Necas carried it into the zone and dropped the puck for Makar, who fired in his first of the night just 43 seconds after Drury scored. It was Necas’ first point with the Avs.
“I thought he’s been awesome,” MacKinnon said. “He said he went to bed at like 3 a.m. after he got traded and he’s playing in a one o’clock game. Pretty quick turnaround. With those circumstances, he’s still looked unreal. The plays he made tonight, his speed, he’s a great passer. He hit two or three posts.
“He was everywhere. It’s fun to play with him.”
New York struck back with a rapid-fire double of their own. Sam Carrick and Vincent Trocheck scored 86 seconds apart to even the score.
Makar scored again to give Colorado a 3-2 lead at 14:36 of the first with the Avs on the power play. Necas reversed the puck from the right side of the ice to the left, then MacKinnon set up Makar at the top of the zone for his 18th goal of the season.
The Avs’ second power-play opportunity did not result in a goal, but Necas hit the iron behind Igor Shesterkin twice and the full two minutes looked like Colorado’s lethal first unit at its peak.
“It’s been frustrating, obviously, having the power play go like that,” MacKinnon said. “It’s different looks right now, then with Marty coming in yesterday it was different again. Then today, I think we just felt a little more comfortable.”
He wasn’t in the trade two days prior, but another (relatively) new guy for the Avs made it a 4-2 lead at 16:01 of the second. Casey Mittelstadt was able to keep the puck in the offensive zone after the Rangers’ attempt to get it out was deflected, then the Avs set up Juuso Parssinen for a one-timer in the slot.
It was Parssinen’s second goal since arriving from Nashville in a trade Dec. 28. He’s played with Mittelstadt and Lehkonen on the second line since the trade, and these have been two of his best games in an Avs uniform.
“It’s been nice,” Parssinen said of the opportunity. “You want to play big minutes, as big as possible. I’m playing more, playing with two elite guys. Just trying to do my job and stay there.”
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