Cale Makar didn't score a goal Saturday night against the Calgary Flames.
He didn't need to.
The Colorado Avalanche defenseman spent much of the evening doing what has made him one of the NHL's most electrifying players: creating scoring opportunities around him.
Makar dished out four assists in the Avalanche's 5-2 victory at Ball Arena, helping the Avalanche secure consecutive wins for the first time since opening the season.
For a team with stars such as Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas , Makar's ability to generate offense from the blue line provides another dimension that opponents must account for.
And against the Flames, that ability was on full display.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Makar helped get the Avalanche on the scoreboard midway through the first period when his attempted pass to Necas deflected into the path of MacKinnon, who fired a wrist shot past Flames goaltender Arsenii Sergeev.
The goal, MacKinnon's ninth of the season, gave the Avalanche a 1-0 advantage.
The Avalanche extended their lead early in the second period when Necas scored on the power play. A little more than three minutes later, Makar helped create another scoring opportunity.
After working around Flames forward Matvei Gridin, Makar delivered a backhand pass to Artturi Lehkonen, who scored from the slot to give the Avalanche a 3-0 lead.
Brock Nelson added another goal before the Flames began mounting a comeback.
Calgary scored late in the second period and again early in the third, trimming the Avalanche lead to 4-2.
But Makar helped put the game out of reach.
At 4:09 of the third period, he sent a shot toward the net that Lehkonen redirected past Sergeev for his second goal of the evening.
The goal restored the Avalanche's three goal advantage and effectively ended the Flames' comeback hopes.
Makar's performance illustrated something that has become increasingly apparent since he entered the league during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He not only is a defenseman who contributes offensively, he's also a player capable of directing an offense.
His skating allows him to escape pressure, his puck handling creates additional passing lanes, and his ability to recognize developing plays forces opponents to account for him throughout the offensive zone.
Those qualities have made him an invaluable part of the Avalanche's success.
Saturday's performance was another reminder that his greatest offensive strength isn't necessarily his ability to score.
It's his ability to make everyone around him more dangerous.
With the Avalanche looking to build momentum following an uneven October, performances like Saturday's could prove important.
The Avalanche improved to 8-5-1 with the victory and will attempt to extend their winning streak Monday against the Blackhawks.
For Makar, the four assist performance was another impressive entry in an already phenomenal career.
For the Avalanche, it was another showing of how much their offensive benefits from having one of hockey's most gifted players patrolling the blue line.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/avalanche/onsi as Cale Makar Shows Why Avalanche Have NHL's Most Dangerous Defenseman .
