The Avalanche's Defense Is Doing More Than Just Defending

Cale Makar and Devon Toews are giving opponents another reason to fear the Avalanche, proving their impact extends far beyond their own end of the ice.

Colorado Avalanche defensemen Devon Toews and Cale Makar Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Avalanche have plenty of offensive firepower. Apparently, their defensemen didn't get the message that they're supposed to stay back.

Cale Makar and Devon Toews each scored twice in Colorado's 7-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday, providing another reminder of just how dangerous the Avalanche can be when their defense gets involved offensively.

Makar and Toews each scored a pair of goals while combining for five points, which made for a miserable night for the Flames. For Makar, scoring against the team from his hometown made the performance particulary memorable. But for the Avalanche, the bigger story might be the continued impact of a defensive pairing that has helped define the franchise's success.

Defensemen Continue to Make Impact

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Makar's accomplishments are already well documented. The former fourth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft is one of the league's premier defensemen, combining exceptional skating with offensive outputs that few players at his positions can match. He won the Calder Trophy in 2020, the Norris Trophy in 2022 and the Conn Smythe Trophy during the Avalanche's Stanley Cup championship run that same year. Makar hasn't accomplished everything alone.

That's where Toews comes into play. The Avalanche acquired the defenseman from the New York Islanders in 2020 for two second-round draft picks. At the time, Toews was a promising young defenseman who had established himself as a reliable NHL player. He wasn't exactly a household name. Paired with Makar, Toews became an essential part of the Avalanche's blue line, providing the defensive responsibility that allowed his partner to take advantage of his offensive abilities.

The partnership helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022, the franchise's first since 2001. Four years later, they're still creating problems. Thursday's performance was an impressive example. Makar and Toews didn't simply contribute to the offense, they accounted for more than half of the Avalanche's seven goals.

That's not something opponents can prepare for by focusing exclusively on Nathan MacKinnon or Martin Necas. And that's what makes the Avalanche difficult to defend. Teams already have enough trouble containing the Avs' forwards. When Makar joins the rush or Toews finds an opening, someone has to account for them. That often means leaving an Avs skater open.

Of course, the Avalanche can't expect four goals from its top defensive pairing every night. What they need is the threat that either player can contribute whenever the opportunity presents itself. Makar will continue to draw much of the attention but Toews remains one of the most important pieces of the Avalanche's championship foundation. Thursday night, they reminded everyone they're pretty good at not only keeping the puck out of their net, but putting it in the other one, too.