Seven weeks ago, Gabe Landeskog was on a plane to Toronto and worried bad news was awaiting him.
Landeskog, who had several setbacks while trying to return to the NHL over nearly three years away, was concerned about how his right knee felt as he was trying to ramp up his recovery progress and rejoin the Colorado Avalanche. To draw a line from that day in Toronto to Saturday night in Denver is just another part of his remarkable, evolving story.
The Avs’ captain was one of the best players on the ice during a dominant 4-0 victory to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
“I was kind of laughing in my head, but he was like, ‘I don’t think there’s a difference between a month off or three years off,'” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. “And I was thinking, like, ‘Hmm, whatever. OK.’ But he was right. It looks like he’s been out for four weeks.
“It’s crazy, honestly. It’s beyond all of our expectations.”
Landeskog became the first player to have knee cartilage replacement surgery and return to NHL action in Game 3 of this series. He had that procedure, one of several throughout the process, in May 2023.
His return to the Avs at Ball Arena was an incredible moment in franchise history. When he was announced in the starting lineup, it was one of the loudest individual moments in the building’s history.
But then the game started, and while the Avs lost 2-1 in overtime, Landeskog played well. He was one of Colorado’s best forwards. He earned a shift with MacKinnon late in the game.
That version of Landeskog alone, given all the time off, would be an incredible story. He got better in Game 4.
“I don’t know,” Landeskog said when asked how he is doing this so quickly. “I think take it one step at a time. I think that was just kind of the same thing throughout my rehab, towards the end of it, at least.
“For me, it’s great to have that first game out of the way. This morning, I woke up and it’s just no excuses. I don’t want to make this about me missing X amount of days or whatever. It’s a huge playoff game for us, a must-win here at home. I think our team played that way, and played real hard and real well. I think I was no different than anybody else tonight. I thought we all brought our ‘A’ game.”
Landeskog scored his first goal since Game 3 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final in the middle of the second period. Brock Nelson set him up for a shot from between the circles.
When he got back to the bench, MacKinnon gave him a bear hug. Logan O’Connor said he took a minute on the bench to look around the arena and soak up the incredible atmosphere, something he admitted is out of character but felt like the right thing to do in the moment.
Landeskog picked up his first assist since Game 6 of the 2022 Cup Final in the third period. He got the puck to Brock Nelson and then he went to the front of the net, just like he’s done thousands of times in his career.
He engaged with Lian Bischel, a mountain of a man at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, and during the battle, Sam Girard put a shot off the Stars defenseman that beat Dallas goalie Casey DeSmith. Just a vintage Landeskog shift and screen at the net front.
“I thought my game was better, and I thought the team’s game was better offensively as well,” Landeskog said. “We were able to find some more zone time and hang on to some pucks. Same thing for me — try to make some plays and not always look pass first, but hang on to it make them defend you and try to take it from you. It’s a good step in the right direction, and we’ll continue working on those things and see what we can do better for Game 5 here.”
The underlying numbers after two games defy logic for a guy who hadn’t played in nearly 34 months. When Landeskog is on the ice, the Avs have a 46-14 advantage in shot attempts. It’s 21-3 in shots on goal. They’ve scored twice without being scored upon.
He moved up from the third line to the second for Game 4, and it was the best night of the series for Nelson as well. The Avs were just happy to have Landeskog back in any capacity, and he was a driving force in dragging them back to even the series.
Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) during a press conference after Game 4 of the first round of the NHL playoffs against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Landeskog scored a goal and had an assist in the game. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)Related Articles
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By the end of the night, Avs fans were chanting “Landy, Landy” when he wasn’t even on the ice. They were chanting it when he was doing a postgame interview on the ice. They were chanting it in droves as they headed for the exits and out into the streets outside the arena.
“I think it’s hard to put into words, to be honest. It really is,” Landeskog said. “Just the love and support from all around this place has been incredible. This is a building where I essentially grew up in, from 18 to now. I’ve got my own kids in this building (now).
“So it’s a special place and to hear the love from the fans, it’s just incredible. All I can do is try to go out there and play my heart out. And I will continue to do that.”
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