Nothing has come easy on the offensive end for Colorado Avalanche standout defenseman Cale Makar against the Dallas Stars.

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar were named Wednesday as two of the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award. The award, voted on by the members of the NHL Players’ Association, is for “the most outstanding player.” MacKinnon won the award last season. He would be the first player to repeat since Connor McDavid won in 2017 and 2018.

The Stars have a 4-1 scoring edge with Makar on the ice this series. “I’ve got to be a lot better,” he said Wednesday.