The Colorado Avalanche are up against the wall in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Avalanche need a win in Game 6 to keep their season alive. However, in order to beat the Dallas Stars, they need some of their key players to step up. Defenseman Cale Makar is one such player who needs to be better moving forward.

Makar is one of the best defensemen in the world. Usually, his offense is second to none among his peers on the blueline. But that has not played out in recent games. The Avalanche star has two points in five games during this series against the Stars. He has not scored a point in the last three games. And he has no points at even strength.

“I've got to be a lot better,” the Avalanche star said of his performance, via NHL.com's Nicholas J. Cotsonika. “I think there's been glimpses where I've been pretty good, and again, for me, it's not always about the points. It's about being good on both sides of the ice, and it starts with myself and my feet. I think when I'm doing that, I feel like we can roll, especially on the back end, so I think there's a lot of things that I can do a lot better, and it's do-or-die now, so we've got to step it up.”

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Makar certainly has the talent to make an impact. And his team will need to see him take over games if they want to advance. The Avalanche have not made the Western Conference Finals since 2022. In fact, they were eliminated by the Stars in the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Avalanche have a lot riding on this upcoming contest. They are counting on him to step up on Thursday night. If he can, the Avalanche might live to fight another day this postseason.