Bednar in awe of Makar: 'Watching one of the best' D-men to ever play

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar found himself in awe of Cale Makar after the star defenseman enjoyed another prolific game during Colorado's 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.

"I'm a little biased, but you're watching one of the best defensemen that's ever played the game," the bench boss said after Makar helped secure the win with a two-goal outing. "There's no question.

"The league has a handful of guys that are super dynamic right now. I think that that's a trend that we're gonna see moving forward, but in my opinion, he's the best of the best."

Makar's first goal of the contest was the 100th of his career, making him the quickest active rearguard to hit the mark and sixth fastest all time at his position, according to NHL PR.

The four-time Norris Trophy finalist was stung after blocking a shot soon after his second-period goal. Makar struggled to get to his feet but still attempted to rejoin the play.

Makar needed help down the tunnel but returned to the ice at the start of the third period.

"He's tough," Bednar said. "Unfortunate he gets hit and kind of finishes that shift, and it turned into a little bit of a debacle. He's certainly sore, but he's able to come back and continue to play, which is big. He kinda kept playing his game, grinding through it. Hopefully, he's not too sore tomorrow."

Though he was seen standing on the bench in discomfort at several points in the final 20 minutes, Makar scored the game's final goal after the Stars built some momentum with two tallies from Jason Robertson in a 39-second span.

Makar ranks third on the Avalanche with 37 assists and 52 points in 47 outings.

Colorado sits in fourth place in the Central Division with a 28-18-1 record.