Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scored a power-play purpose within the second interval of their 7-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday evening, placing him right into a relatively unique membership in NHL historical past. That membership — the 30-goal membership for defensemen.
He’s only the ninth different defender in league history to score 30 goals in a single season — and the primary to take action since Mike Inexperienced scored 31 targets (in solely 68 video games) for the 2008-09 Washington Capitals.
Solely three defensemen since 1990 have scored 30 targets in a season with Makar becoming a member of Inexperienced and Kevin Hatcher.
The opposite gamers to do it embrace Bobby Orr (5 occasions), Denis Potvin (thrice), Paul Coffey (4 occasions), and Inexperienced, Hatcher, Doug Wilson, Phil Housley and Ray Bourque (one time every).
Alongside together with his purpose, he additionally had two assists within the win to assist him attain the 90-point mark for the second 12 months in a row.
Makar goes to be one of many front-runners for the Norris Trophy (NHL’s finest defenseman) and has an actual likelihood to win it for the second time in his profession. Though he’s solely 26 years previous, he’s already probably the most productive and dominant defenders to ever play within the NHL with regards to offense.
He has averaged at the least a point-per-game in 5 of his first six seasons within the league, solely falling shot in his rookie season (when he had 50 factors in 57 video games).
Amongst defensemen who’ve logged at the least 300 video games within the NHL, his 1.08-point-per-game common is third behind only Orr and Coffey.
