Colorado Avalanche: Cale Makar Scores 1st NHL Goal… in the Playoffs

The Colorado Avalanche’s newest player, defenseman Cale Makar, made a very impressive debut, scoring the game-winning goal.

Well, turns out Colorado Avalanche prospect Cale Makar is transitioning well into the NHL. He’s scored his first-ever NHL goal. And since the Avalanche are in the playoffs, it’s also his first-ever playoff goal.

It also happens to be the game-winning goal, so a first there, too. And all of this in his first-ever NHL game. That’s a heck of a debut.

The goal came later in the first period. Nathan MacKinnon had already scored two power play goals, so the score was 2-0. Cale Makar had a few shifts under his belt so far, but nothing grand.

The play started in the Avalanche’s own end. MacKinnon took possession of the puck and started driving up ice. With great confidence that something good could transpire, MacKinnon dropped a pass to Makar.

Cale’s hockey instincts took over. He drove the net and slipped a wrist shot past goalie Mike Smith‘s pads:

Wow. Act like you’ve been there before, Cale. Oh, wait, that’s exactly what he did. His nerved had to be twanging, but he slid in smooth as butter anyway.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog was on the ice when Makar scored, so Cale didn’t get doused. He did, however, get a Viking-level hug.

You know who else got a big hug? Cale’s mom:

Indeed, what proud parents. We also see where Cale gets his rosy cheeks and red hair — from Mamma Makar!

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There was some doubt — including from me — about whether Makar would turn pro right away, whether he should debut in the playoffs. Well, color me wrong, because the kid looked more than ready.

He started out in the fire. Already, after his first morning skate, the media frenzy was in full force:

The Avs Twitter team gave him plenty of love:

I’ll always be salty about the 2017 NHL Draft lottery — much more so that this one. But, the Avs PR brings up a salient point:

We definitely didn’t do badly in the draft.

Naturally, the media wanted to talk to Cale after the game, too. Needless to say, he was over the moon:

Interestingly, I never thought about the altitude. While he grew up in Calgary, which is 3.428 feet above sea level, he’s been playing the last two years at sea level in Boston. It was also pretty cute how a question about what Tyson Jost said to him after the goal is what flustered him.

Well, the Cinderella Rule is in effect. We can love this victory tonight, but for the Colorado Avalanche, the work starts fresh tomorrow. They’re up 2-1 on the Calgary Flames in the series. Still plenty of fun ahead of us.

Nonetheless, All Hail Cale.