Makar doing 'everything I can' to play for Canada in must-win game against Finland

BOSTON -- With beads of sweat still trickling down his face following a grueling optional skate on Sunday, Cale Makar grinned sheepishly at the gaggle of reporters scrunched around him.

“You guys need anything?” he said, tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Canada certainly does.

It needs him to play.

And although neither he nor coach Jon Cooper would confirm the defenseman's status for Canada’s huge showdown against Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Monday (1 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS), the fact that Makar was on the ice for a second consecutive day was encouraging.

Cooper did not update Makar's status Monday morning.

"I'm going to do everything I can to play tomorrow,” Makar said Sunday. “I just got to make sure I feel right, body and everything-wise and go from there.”

Canada controls its own destiny. Beat Finland in regulation and it will punch its ticket to the championship game, where it would get a rematch with the United States.

It's a scenario that certainly has better odds of coming to fruition with Makar in the lineup.

Here’s why.

Makar did not play for Canada in its 3-1 loss to the U.S. at Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday because of an illness. His speed on the back end was noticeably missed, considering the way the U.S. clogged the neutral zone to take away the seams that Canada forwards Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon like to exploit.

When Makar is in the lineup and accelerates through the neutral zone, teams are forced to alter their defensive structure toward him, thereby opening up time and space for his teammates. When he isn’t, as was the case on Saturday, finding open real estate on the ice becomes more difficult.

“It was incredibly hard,” Makar said about missing the U.S. game. “Obviously, you grow up as a kid dreaming about that game, especially being played on Canadian soil. Probably one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make, and hopefully I never have to do that again.

“But yeah, just got to make sure myself that I feel good and I'm ready to go.”

Makar added that he’ll be checked out Monday morning before a decision is made for the Finland game.

"I feel good,” he said. “I got to make sure I'm feeling every day a little bit better, and that's what I've been trying to do.

"I got to do what's, unfortunately, best for myself and make sure that I'm ready to go for the rest of the (NHL) season. It's a really hard decision, but it's definitely one that obviously everybody's looking forward to for the entire season. That was a hard one, but I've got to make sure I get it right, and hopefully I feel better for tomorrow.”

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley slotted into the lineup against the U.S. in Makar’s absence and played well in 18:17 of ice time. Even so, he’s the first to point out that replacing Makar is virtually impossible.

“He’s incredibly dynamic with the puck on his stick, whether it’s in transition, in the neutral zone, the O-zone or at the blue line, or just breaking pucks out of his own end,” Harley said. “And then you pair that with his ability to defend at an extremely high level.

“There’s a reason he’s won the Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe.”

Indeed, Makar won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2021-22, when he was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs after helping Colorado win the Stanley Cup.

With or without Makar, though, Canada knows it can’t take Finland lightly. The Finns showed impressive bounce back after losing 6-1 to the U.S. in its opener by defeating Sweden 4-3 in overtime on Saturday.

As a result, Finland can also secure a spot in the championship with a regulation win on Monday.

“You have to marvel at the Finns because you can go to any tournament and they always seem to be the team that probably never gets the respect they deserve until they’re in the final,” Cooper said. “And you’re like, “Whoa, how’d Finland get here?” But it’s world juniors, world championships, they’re always hanging around.”

Why?

“It’s because of their particular style,” Cooper said. “I think everyone in the country knows exactly how they play. They have an identity to them.

“They find a way to get it done in tournaments. It’s impressive.”