Unleashing the Beast: Why the Colorado Avalanche Need Cale Makar to Shoot More on the Power Play

The Power Play Puzzle: Can Cale Makar Recalibrate?

It is still early in the NHL season, and jumping to conclusions after just a few games is usually a recipe for disaster. However, for the Colorado Avalanche, a concerning trend is emerging—one that isn’t just about the current games, but a pattern spanning the last three seasons.

The consensus is clear: for the Avalanche to truly dominate, they need Cale Makar to rediscover his aggressiveness and start letting it rip on the power play.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Dip in Aggression

While Makar remains one of the most lethal defensemen in the league, his shot attempt rate during five-on-four advantages has seen a steady decline. A look at the data reveals a worrying trajectory:

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• 2023-24 Season: 32.58 shot attempts per 60 minutes.
• Following Season: A drop to 27.89.
• Last Season: A further dip to 27.64.

Coincidentally, the Avalanche’s overall power-play efficiency has mirrored this decline. It’s not just that he’s shooting less; it’s that the shots that are leaving his stick are less likely to find the target. His rate of shots hitting the net plummeted from 13.23 per 60 minutes in 2023-24 to just 9.61 last year.

The “Makar Effect”: How Opponents are Adapting

Credit where credit is due: NHL opponents have cracked a partial code. Teams are now specifically designing their penalty kills to neutralize Makar. By clogging lanes and shadowing his movements, they’ve forced him into a difficult position.

This defensive pressure may have led to an overcorrection. Last year, over 43% of Makar’s non-blocked shot attempts missed the net entirely—his highest miss percentage since his rookie year. When the league’s best defenseman starts hesitating, the entire offensive flow suffers.

Coach Bednar’s Strategy for Adaptation

Head coach Jared Bednar is well aware of the situation. He acknowledges that when teams take away Makar and superstar Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche must find alternative ways to create chaos.

“They take Cale away, we got to find something else. They take Nathan away, we got to find something else… other guys should have more space, so how do we execute around that?” — Jared Bednar

The goal now is to develop the poise and playmaking ability among the supporting cast to exploit the space created when defenders swarm the top stars.

Fresh Faces on the Top Unit

The Avalanche are already making tactical adjustments. In a bid to spark the man-advantage, Nazem Kadri has replaced Gabriel Landeskog on the top power-play unit. Kadri brings a level of versatility and movement that Landeskog might lack currently, though it potentially sacrifices some net-front presence.

Whether it’s personnel changes or a tactical shift, the ultimate solution remains the same: Cale Makar needs to trust his instincts and increase his shot volume. If he can recalibrate his approach, the Avalanche’s power play could once again become the most feared unit in the NHL.