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The Colorado Avalanche survived a wild, high-scoring opening game against the Minnesota Wild, but the biggest storyline was Cale Makar’s dramatic return after an early scare. The Norris-winning defenseman left the ice briefly with an injury, then came back to swing the momentum with multiple key plays in a 9-6 victory.
First-period scare: what happened to Makar
Just 1:11 into the game, Makar took a heavy hit from Marcus Foligno and went to the locker room for evaluation. He had missed time in April with an upper-body issue, so the early contact set off alarm bells for Avalanche fans.
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- Makar exited the action after the hit and sat on the bench later in the period.
- He did not return to ice time until the second period.
- Medical staff cleared him after checks on the bench.
The early injury moment briefly altered Colorado’s game plan, but the team held its composure while monitoring its top defenseman.
Comeback performance: assists and clutch goals
When Makar returned he steadily worked his way back into the flow. His first notable contribution was an assist on a Nick Blankenburg goal in the second period.
Then, in the third he turned the tide. At 3:21 of the period he ripped a go-ahead goal to put Colorado up 6-5. He later added another tally late in the period to extend the lead to 8-6.
Game impact in numbers
- Goals in the game: 2
- Assist in the game: 1
- Playoff totals after Game 1: 4 goals and 1 assist in five games
Makar’s late-period scoring helped seal a frantic affair and underscored his value on both ends of the ice.
Coach reaction and locker-room tone
Colorado coach Jared Bednar praised Makar’s resilience. He said the defenseman was tentative at first but pushed through and finished the game strong.
Bednar highlighted the importance of Makar’s return and credited him with making a couple of decisive plays when it mattered most.
What the win means for the series and next steps
The Avalanche grabbed Game 1 and now aim to build momentum heading into Game 2. Colorado will try to stretch its lead when the teams meet again on Tuesday night.
- Final score: Colorado 9, Minnesota 6
- Key figure: Cale Makar — multi-goal performance after an early injury scare
- Series status: Avalanche lead and prepare for Game 2
