Two days ago, Cale Makar returned to practice wearing a non-contact jersey, indicating he was feeling well but still needed some time to get back to 100 percent.
Monday morning, Makar was a full participant in the morning skate and has shed his non-contact jersey.
Cale Makar is in a regular sweater as the #Avs start morning skate at T-Mobile Arena. pic.twitter.com/pQhGnJWbaQ
— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) December 23, 2019
Having last played Dec. 7 against the Boston Bruins, where he left the game after a collision with Brad Marchand, the outstanding rookie is seemingly ready to take the ice again. Despite missing seven contests with an upper-body injury, he’s still second in points to Victor Olofsson of Buffalo, third in goals, first in assists, and third in plus-minus among all rookie skaters.
Makar will hope to continue where things left off and start a new point streak and recapture his lead in the Calder Trophy race with Olofsson. The Colorado Avalanche have missed Makar’s presence and skating ability going 3-4 in the seven games without him. With Makar on the ice, the team was on a seven-game win streak after Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen returned to the team.
The loss of Makar had an obvious impact on the team, and his return is a huge boost before the NHL Christmas Break. The Avalanche play against the Las Vegas Golden Knights tonight at 8 p.m. MT, and Makar’s full participation in the morning skate bodes well for his participation in the contest this evening.
In the seven-game win streak before Makar’s injury, the team was averaging 3.7 goals per contest and 1.43 goals against per game. In the seven games since the injury, the team is averaging 2.86 goals per contest and averaging 3 goals against per game. Makar’s impact is absolutely huge and getting back a top talent in the NHL will help carry the Avalanche into the holiday break.
