DENVER — Cale Makar’s sportsmanship late in the first period was among the classiest gestures in recent memory. The Avalanche’s 1-0 shootout victory Monday over the New York Islanders may have been a clear sign of good karma.
In the latter stages of the first period, Makar started to pick up speed skating around the back of the Avs’ goal with Islanders forward Mat Barzal trailing behind him. Barzal attempted to impede on Makar’s breakout, using his stick ever-so-slightly to poke at his upper body. Makar lost his footing and went down to the ice and the nearby referee quickly raised his arm to signal a tripping penalty on Barzal.
“I just tripped,” Makar said.
As soon as the play was whistled dead, Makar gestured to the referee that it wasn’t a penalty. The officials convened and then later announced that there was no penalty called on the play.
Cale Makar just talked the referees out of calling a penalty on Mat Barzal?!?!#GoAvsGo #Isles pic.twitter.com/xP87PyCkkT
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 20, 2022
But what exactly was Makar’s intention? Was it just a case of good sportsmanship from one of the more well-liked superstars in the NHL? Or was there something more to it?
“I felt a lot more guilty about doing that than probably if I would have said nothing,” Makar said, confirming that he did in fact notify the referee that it was not a penalty. “I don’t know if it’s something I’ll do again. I kind of save the refs there.”
Makar didn’t get flack from any of his teammates or his head coach for doing it. But he says he’s thankful the team ended up with the victory and the two points.
“That was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done but I don’t think it will happen again,” he said. “That would’ve been unfortunate if we didn’t get the extra point in this game.
“I felt pretty guilty for the boys there. So I apologized to them.”
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Evan Rodrigues scored the lone shootout goal for Colorado, which has won four of its last five games and 3-of-4 during its five-game homestand.
Rodrigues played more than 23 minutes through regulation and overtime and had three shots on goal.
“It’s a great feeling scoring. It’s one-on-one with the goalie, everyone’s watching,” he said.
The Avs heavily outshot the Islanders, finishing with a 46-26 advantage. on Colorado’s side, goalie Alexandar Georgiev recorded his second shutout of the season. Following a tough six-game stretch, Georgiev has now won his last two outings, surrendering just one goal in the process.
“Just incredible the past two games, he’s been great,” Rodrigues said of Georgiev. “He makes a huge save at the end of the game that keeps us ahead and doesn’t allow a goal in regulation, overtime or the shootout. That speaks for itself.”
Rantanen also had a strong showing for the Avs. The hot goalscorer had a game-high 10 shots on goal and 15 shot attempts. Rantanen played 29:04, trailing only behind Makar (31:8) in total ice time.
“I was double-shifting him in offensive situations,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “I thought he was really strong on the puck tonight. He made a bunch of plays. shooting the puck with an opportunity to create rebounds for his linemates and committed on the defensive side of things. So all around great game from him.”
While Colorado was controlling play in the third period, and seemingly everything going well, the injury bug struck again. Forward Andrew Cogliano, who is one of seven skaters to appear in all 30 games, went hard into the boards and skated off in pain. The 35-year-old was holding his right shoulder and collarbone area as he skated off.
Bednar did not have an update on his status following the game.
The Avs haven’t had a player go down with an injury since Nathan MacKinnon two weeks ago. Since then, they’ve welcomed back Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, Evan Rodrigues and Kurtis MacDermid. Forward Darren Helm continues to participate in practice wearing a non-contact sweater while Gabriel Landeskog and MacKinnon are expected out until after the new year. Colorado is also missing defensemen Bowen Byram and Josh Manson.
Earlier in the day, the Avalanche announced a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Colorado sent forward Dryden Hunt to the Leafs in exchange for Denis Malgin. Both Hunt and Malgin have two goals this season.
Malgin, 25, is an undersized forward that plays with a lot of speed — something the Avalanche certainly like in him. He has four points in 23 games with the Maple Leafs and has spent the majority of the games he’s dressed in playing among Toronto’s top-six. Most recently, he spent a lot of time with center John Tavares and winger Mitch Marner on the second line.
Malgin started his career in Florida, the team that drafted him in 2015, but was sent to the Maple Leafs for Mason Marchment on Feb. 19, 2020. He played just eight regular-season games with Toronto before deciding to play in Switzerland for two years. The Maple Leafs retained his rights, signing him to a one-year contract last summer. Malgin is set to become a restricted free agent in 2023 at the conclusion of this deal.