Once again, the longtime Penguins' captain will have a chance to lead Canada on the international scene, vying for a fourth gold medal in four tries

DENVER — Cale Makar deflects not only shots but any mention of milestones related to him. It’s just the nature of the Colorado Avalanche’s dynamic defenseman. He’s not a big spotlight person even if he constantly finds himself in the limelight.

After Colorado's blockbuster trade last week, there's been an adjustment period for the Avalanche's new players. And the centerpiece of the Avs' return on that trade is thriving.

It’s become a pattern now — the Colorado Avalanche look like the better team for the better part of the first 40 minutes and then the final period is a problem.

Makar scored two goals in the first period and dished the game-winning assist in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Rangers.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, right, is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring ...

Cale Makar scored twice and set up the tiebreaking goal by Artturi Lehkonen with 15 seconds remaining as the revamped Colorado Avalanche blew a pair of two-goal leads before earning a dramatic 5-4 victory over the host New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon.

Artturi Lehkonen scored the tiebreaking goal with 14.7 seconds left and Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 saves and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the New York Rangers 5-4.

NHL analysts Frankie Corrado and Carlo Colaiacovo weighed in on the ongoing debate between Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar as the top defenseman in the league.

However, their defensive play appeared somewhat unstable, as both of the Jets' regulation goals stemmed from lapses in coverage in front of the net. Despite the loss, Cale Makar expressed strong admiration for Nathan MacKinnon, who scored a goal during the game.

The 4 Nations Face-Off captains and leadership groups for Canada, Finland, Sweden and the U.S. must guide their teams to a win with little margin for error.