How was any of this ever taken away from us?

NHL players have returned to the Olympics, and if the first few games of the tournament are any indication, it’s going to be doozy. Back-and-forth action, tight games and incredible goaltending are making things interesting for the underdogs. How could you not love it?

If you’re an Avalanche fan who doesn’t want to pay attention to what’s happening while the fellas are away, that’s fine as well. But there a few things you should hope to happen to the Avalanche players competing with their respective countries that carries over when the NHL returns.

Makar finds his accuracy

If it feels like Cale Makar’s radar has been a bit off with the Avalanche, you’re correct.

From Oct. 7 to Dec. 29, 41% of Makar’s shot attempts were hitting the net. In the 17 games since, that number plummeted to just 27%.

What the heck happened?

It’s tough to pinpoint the issue. Jared Bednar has said teams are playing Makar differently on the power play, but this issue hasn’t been exclusive to the man advantage. His accuracy has been off at even strength as well.

Teams are naturally going to clog up the lanes, particularly when Makar gets the puck at the point, but too often it’s looked like he’s trying to pick corners rather than just getting it to the net. Could he be overthinking things? It’s possible. Either way, a break from the Avalanche where Makar can be around other elite players and clear his head could be a good thing. If his strong first game, against Czechia, was an indication, things are trending up.

Some power play creativity

Olympic power plays might be difficult to come by. The referees are letting the players play for the most part, and that’s not a bad thing.

But these groups are practicing and, when they do practice, they should be picking the brains and observing some of these other players as to what’s working and what isn’t on the power play.

Because what the Avalanche are trying isn’t working.

Makar and Nathan MacKinnon make up 40% of Canada’s top power play unit. That group also will contain Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, who are running top five power plays in the NHL. Martin Necas will work with David Pastrnak, whose Boston Bruins sit third in the NHL in power-play efficiency. Much of Team Finland plays for the Dallas Stars, who sit second in the NHL on the man advantage.

Hopefully the Avalanche players are able to come back with some fresh ideas that can get the Colorado power play going down the stretch.

Good health

Yes, an obvious one.

Gabriel Landeskog returned for Sweden’s first game and looked like himself, scoring a goal and throwing his body around. Martin Necas missed Colorado’s final three games prior to the break and looked just fine in Czechia’s opening matchup.

There’s still plenty of tournament left, though. Avalanche fans — and fans of every NHL team — will be holding their breath until Feb. 23 just hoping their guys come back in one piece.

What I’m hearing

• Not that anyone is surprised to hear this, but Landeskog confirmed in Milan he was dealing with a rib issue for the last month. Unfortunately, when it comes to ribs, there’s nothing you can do other than just wait for them to heal.
• When asked what three words describe his game, Devon Toews gave the perfect answer: “Pass to Cale.”

What I’m seeing

• It should bother fans that we had to wait 12 years for NHL players to return to the Olympics. The start of this tournament has been tremendous and it’s unfortunate that superstars like MacKinnon and McDavid have not been allowed to participate until now.
• What makes the Olympics so special is that a short tournament could turn anyone into a star, even if only for a day. Goaltender Samuel Hlavaj is a nobody in the Wild system. On the first day of the Olympics, he was the reason Slovakia upset Finland, stonewalling the likes of Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen. How can you not love seeing things like that?

What I’m thinking

• Makar didn’t even play 19 minutes in Canada’s opening game. MacKinnon didn’t hit 15. Even Necas, on a Czech team that will rely heavily on him, didn’t hit 20. More hockey could tire players down the stretch. But a best-on-best tournament means ice time will be spread out pretty evenly for everyone, so they won’t come close to what they average in the NHL.
• USA Network cutting away from some of the first few games in order to show luge was a bummer for hockey fans. Not everyone has Peacock. Heck, not everyone even has the USA Network. Hopefully the TV situation after the round-robin portion of the tournament is a little better.