The Avalanche scored the second most demanding goal in the NHL since Cale Makar joined Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to form arguably the sport’s best three-headed monster.

Colorado is missing 40% of its first-choice power-play unit, and even its top backup options are missing. Yet the Avs still rank eighth in the NHL in goals per game this season despite missing more than $20 million worth of forwards.

Colorado’s specialty Only The Avs, who finished third at 39.3%, scored 11 power-play goals in eight games. Although the Devils played two more games, New Jersey tied for the most. They are second only to Ottawa in extra-man goals per game.

It all starts with the holy trinity of Makar, MacKinnon and Rantanen. They are typically arranged as the “outside three” in a 1-3-1 formation; Makar is up top, MacKinnon is on the left wing and Rantanen is on the right.

Their chemistry is elite. His skills are Hall of Fame caliber. And the Avs are proving that no matter who is at the buffer and clear front positions, these three men will figure out how to maximize the unit’s effectiveness.

“You’re trying to create multiple things that you can execute,” Rantanen said. “If they remove some plays, we try to do other things. “I think the hardest thing for a penalty kick is when you are unpredictable.

The Avs scored 68 goals on the power play last year, which ranked second in the NHL behind Tampa Bay’s 71. In an obvious reference to the small sample size, Colorado has a much better rate in 2024-25 despite the missing pieces. .

Ross Colton replaced Jonathan Drouin at center (aka buffer spot). With three players unavailable to play there (Valeri Nichushkin, Gabe Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen), Casey Mittelstadt is the so-called net-front player. The way Colton and Mittelstadt play these roles is very different from the men they replace, but the results are excellent.

“We have two good players in Drouin and Val, but we also brought in two good players,” Rantanen said. “They have slightly different styles of players, but if we have good players with good hockey IQ like those two guys, there is potential to be successful.”

Last season, MacKinnon led the Avs in power play shots per 60 minutes. Nichushkin finished second as a net front player. Makar finished third. Many of Nichushkin’s “shots” were deflections from perimeter shots by Makar, MacKinnon, or Rantanen.

Nichushkin led the team with 16 extra-man goals on just 48 shots. Rantanen scored 14 points, while MacKinnon scored 10 points; This was due in part to his unexpectedly low shooting percentage of 8.3% (yes, his 140-point, MVP season could have been even better).

MacKinnon has accumulated 8.1 fewer shots per 60 minutes so far this season. Rantanen trails by 3.8 shots per 60. Makar also shoots at almost the same pace. They combined for five power-play goals in eight games, but the trio was also tied for the NHL lead in extra man points with seven apiece before Friday’s schedule.

How? Because the man in the middle went from trap to sniper. Drouin was 16th on the team in shots per 60 minutes on the power play last year, but putting him on the pad in place of Ryan Johansen sparked a new level of creativity.

Drouin’s forte was manipulating defenders, either drawing them in or creating royal passing lanes for MacKinnon and Rantanen. Colton has also been illuminating on this point, but his approach is more direct.

Open up and let it rip. Colton has a team-leading four extra-man goals. They’re all one-offs, and they’re all from the area between the two circles in the upper slot. Ivan Ivan scored less than two periods in PP1 against Utah at the Colton position and of course… he scored a one-timer from the slot for his first NHL goal.

“Last year was the first year I actually played (at the buffer spot) here,” Colton said. “Just working with (assistant coach Ray Bennett) and watching what (Drouin) does; I’m just trying to find ways to be open. There is a lot of skill and they will go around. You don’t need much, but if you have a little they will find you.

“Whether it’s on video, whether it’s on the pre-game scout, even when we get back to the bench, (MacKinnon) will be in my ear about where I need to be or where I need to go, and I just feed off of that.”

Meanwhile, Mittelstadt had only three shots on goal in the power play that lasted over 32 minutes. He does not stand in front of the goalkeeper like other players. He moves around the net more, often trying to receive the puck below the goal line and be a facilitator first. He has more assists (four) than shots made on the man advantage.

The Avs have one of the NHL’s two zone entry cheat codes in MacKinnon. Colorado and Edmonton (Connor McDavid) basically start every season with an advantage on the power play because getting into the zone and setting up cleanly is a huge part of any team’s success, and no team does that better than the Avs and Oilers.