Avalanche Crush Sharks 7-3, Makar Makes Franchise History

DENVER, CO — Cale Makar made history Thursday night with two goals and four assists, becoming the first defenseman in Colorado Avalanche franchise history to achieve a six-point game in a decisive 7-3 win over the San Jose Sharks.

The victory at Ball Arena marked Colorado’s fourth consecutive win during their six-game homestand, bringing their record to 31-24-2, while the Sharks fell to 17-38-9. Makar also extended his points streak at home to 18 games and moved within three points of the coveted 1,000-point milestone, joining Avalanche legends Joe Sakic and Peter Stastny.

The evening kicked off with Joel Kiviranta scoring a shorthanded goal just 4:19 into the first period, setting the tone for the Avalanche. Following Kiviranta’s lead, Makar scored on the power play, then Jonathan Drouin netted another goal for the Avalanche with only two seconds remaining in the period, giving Colorado a 3-1 lead.

“You always want to start fast,” Kiviranta said. “It’s a good feeling to get that early lead.”

In the second period, the Avalanche didn’t let up. Martin Necas scored on the power play at the 40-second mark, and Nathan MacKinnon added two goals, bringing the score to 6-1 before the end of the period. Makar’s performance was pivotal, as he scored his 39th career power-play goal, tying the franchise record for defensemen previously set by Sandis Ozolinsh.

“We have a deep team, and we all have faith in each other,” Makar said. “It’s amazing to see the way we’re playing together.”

Despite the lopsided score, the Sharks displayed resilience, with Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund both finding the net in the third period. However, their efforts weren’t enough to dig out of the early deficit.

Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 31 saves but ultimately allowed three goals, while his counterpart Alexandar Georgiev stopped 25 of 32 shots faced, resulting in a disappointing save percentage of .781.

“We worked hard, but at some point, they just overpowered us,” Blackwood said. “We’ll learn from this and come back stronger.”

The Sharks haven’t beaten the Avalanche since May 5, 2021, marking a 12-game losing streak against Colorado. Following their defeat, San Jose is now in the midst of a challenging season with ongoing trade rumors hovering over their roster.

“The distractions were tough tonight,” said Sharks head coach David Quinn. “But I’m proud of the way we pushed back in the third period.”

Looking ahead, the Avalanche will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at home on Saturday, while the Sharks will face off against the New York Islanders.