Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche wasted a golden opportunity to close out the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at home when they lost in Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning Friday night to the tune of a 3-2 score. Things could have turned out much differently and perhaps to the Avs' favor if not for a tripping call on Makar in the second period that led to a Nikita Kucherov 4-on-3 power-play goal to put the Lightning ahead, 2-1.
Makar, however, would rather move on from that than spend much energy sulking about it.
Via ESPN NHL reporter Kristen Shilton:
“I'm not here to talk about the refs,” Makar said. “We have to battle through that. It's playoffs, there's going to be discrepancies game to game with different people. It is what it is. You can't get your emotions taken into that. For me, that [tripping penalty] doesn't happen very often but at the end of the day you have to refocus.”
The Avalanche are still in great shape. Whatever happens in Game 6, they would still be returning to Colorado, either as Stanley Cup champions or for a winner-take-all Game 7.
Makar has been sensational for the Avs all season long, and he's turned on the heat in the playoffs where he already has racked up a team-best 29 points on the strength of eight goals and 21 assists. He had two points in Game 5, assisting on Valeri Nichushkin's goal in the second period and scoring his own in the third period.
Game 6 will be at Amalie Arena in Tampa this coming Sunday.
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