Makar
scores in NHL debut as Avs overpower Flames
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[April 16, 2019]
Nathan MacKinnon had two goals
and an assist, Cale Makar scored in his NHL debut, and the Colorado
Avalanche put 56 shots on goal while beating the Calgary Flames 6-2
on Monday night in Denver in a Western Conference quarterfinals
series.
Mikko Rantanen and Matt Nieto had a goal and an assist each, Erik
Johnson also scored, and Philipp Grubauer stopped 25 shots for
eighth-seeded Colorado, which took a 2-1 series lead over the
top-seeded Flames.
Sam Bennett and TJ Brodie produced goals, and Mike Smith made 50
saves for the Flames. Calgary has dropped the past two games in the
series after shutting out the Avalanche 4-0 in Game 1. The Flames
took 50 minutes in penalties and allowed two power-play goals and a
short-handed tally Monday.
Game 4 is Wednesday night in Denver.
The Avalanche struggled to score for most of two games in Calgary
but wasted no time in getting on the board Monday. MacKinnon, who
netted the overtime winner in Calgary on Saturday night, gave
Colorado a 2-0 lead with a pair of power-play goals 5:08 apart in
the first period.
He skated to the slot and beat Smith with a wrister at 8:26 and
later in the period scored on a shot just under Smith's arm off a
pass from Rantanen at 13:34.
Makar capped a whirlwind 48 hours when he beat Smith with his first
NHL shot on goal at 16:02 of the first period to make it 3-0. Makar
signed an entry-level contract with Colorado on Sunday, just hours
after playing in the NCAA title game for the University of
Massachusetts in Buffalo, N.Y., on Saturday night.
The Avalanche announced Monday morning that Makar would play, and
his parents flew in from Calgary, arriving 10 minutes before the
puck dropped. Colorado selected him with the fourth overall pick in
the 2017 draft.
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![](../images/041619pics/sports67.jpg)
Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) following his first NHL goal in
the first period against the Calgary Flames in game three of the
first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center.
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Mar/14/images/ads/current/tires250x300.gif)
Nieto made it 4-0 with a short-handed goal at 7:51 of the second
period, but Bennett answered on the power play 43 seconds later.
Rantanen's goal at 12:58 of the second made it 5-1.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2019/Apr/16/images/ads/current/New_Holland_sda_daily_FARM_2017.png)
Johnson scored just 54 seconds into the third period on a
redirection, but Brodie responded with a goal on a deflection 15
seconds later.
--Field Level Media
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