Makar scores 30th of season, Avalanche top Blue Jackets to clinch playoff berth

COLUMBUS – Cale Makar scored his 30th goal of the season and had two assists for the Colorado Avalanche, who clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 7-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday.

Makar became the ninth defenseman in NHL history to reach the mark and the first since Mike Green scored 31 for the Washington Capitals in 2008-09.

“It’s a great stat but definitely not getting there without these guys,” Makar said of his teammates. “It’s a lot of effort from them getting me the puck and getting my chances, a couple of them.”

Nathan MacKinnon, Charlie Coyle and Devon Toews each had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche (47-26-4), who are 6-1-1 in their past eight games, including a 3-2 shootout win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves.

Colorado is six pionts behind the Dallas Stars for second in the Central Division.

“We're obviously really happy that we secured that (playoff) spot,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “That's the first step and the first goal that you kind of set in training camp, and it takes a long time to get here and a lot of hard work, but proud of our guys for accomplishing that and doing it in under tough circumstances, coming in here tonight on the back-to-back.”

Sean Monahan, Zach Aston-Reese and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets (34-31-9). Elvis Merzlikins allowed seven goals on 28 shots before he was replaced 5:49 into the third period by Daniil Tarasov, who made four saves.

Columbus is four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference with a game in hand.

The Blue Jackets led 3-2 in the second period before allowing five goals.

“We just can't shoot ourselves in key situations,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said, “where the game's still sitting there and we're still in the spot and we do something kind of uncharacteristic and systematically that we don't do, and it ends up in our net, or flips the momentum of the hockey game, and think that third goal probably did that.”

Coyle tied it 3-3 at 12:39 off the rush, and Parker Kelly scored from the high slot to make it 4-3 at 14:02.

Makar’s power-play goal, a one-timer from the left circle off a cross-ice pass from MacKinnon, pushed it to 5-3 at 19:22.

“It's definitely nice to have him on your side instead of going against him,” Kelly said of Makar. “Just a special player, super humble. Just super happy for Cale and a really cool milestone to see in person.”

Toews made it 6-3 at 4:01 of the third period with a wrist shot from the left point through traffic, and Miles Wood scored a one-timer in front off a pass from Coyle below the goal line for the 7-3 final at 5:49.

“We put a lot of good minutes in their zone and felt like we're going to get back into it,” Jenner said. “They were able to get two in the third before we could have a push.”

MacKinnon put Colorado ahead 1-0 at 3:25 of the first period when he skated across the slot and slipped a wrist shot between Merzlikins’ pads from the right circle.

Monahan tied it 1-1 at 6:35 for his third goal in the past two games, tapping in a rebound in front after Blackwood knocked down Dante Fabbro’s point shot.

Brock Nelson put the Avalanche up 2-1 at 18:05 with a one-timer below the right circle after Makar passed it off the end boards from the high slot.

Aston-Reese tied it 2-2 at 4:16 of the second period to end his 57-game goal drought dating to Nov. 14. Jenner then stuffed in a rebound to make it 3-2 at 7:56.

NOTES: Makar also reached 60 assists this season to become the fifth different defenseman in NHL history to have 30 goals and 60 assists in a season. … MacKinnon has nine points (three goals, six assists) in a six-game point streak. … Colorado forwards Jonathan Drouin (lower body) and Martin Necas did not play after being injured against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. They were replaced by Wood and Jimmy Vesey. … Monahan has five points (three goals, two assists) in the past two games. … Jenner extended his point streak to six games (six goals, three assists).