DENVER — “There’s only one Gabe Landeskog in the world," Nathan MacKinnon said Saturday after the Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars in game four to even up their first round playoff series, 2-2. "That kind of person and player, we missed him, there was a big hole in our room for three years. [He] means the world to all of us.”
Landeskog scored his first goal in nearly three years for the Avs to help lift them over the Stars, but in this case, that goal is much more than just a tally on the scoreboard.
It's a beacon, piercing through the gloom, illuminating Colorado's route to the Stanley Cup.
In game four Landeskog played nearly 15 minutes. Only four other Avs' forwards were on the ice longer. All the advanced statistics say he's already back to playing at an elite level.
“It’s not just that he scored, it’s the way he’s playing," Avalanche defensman Josh Manson said, who was on the ice for Landeskog's goal. "He’s such a smart player, he’s navigating his game so well. It just shows how mentally prepared he was, how physically prepared he made himself that he could step into a situation like this and be so effective.”
Nobody enjoyed the captain's goal more than Manson.
“My wife was laughing at my face in the picture [after the goal] and I’m like, [that's] just pure elation," Manson said. “That’s a memory I’ll have for the rest of my life. That’s what hockey is all about is when you get to celebrate your teammates like that.”
Landeskog's thousand days worth of tireless effort culminated in one timeless moment that left his teammates in awe.
“I think everyone was just so jacked up for him and the road that he’s been on to get back to this point and now to contribute is special," Avalanche forward Brock Nelson, who assisted on the goal, said.
“I took a moment on the bench," Avs' forward and DU alum Logan O'Connor said. "Normally you don’t do [that] in a playoff atmosphere. I think all of us just sort of took it in, how unique and special it was.”
Despite the massive amounts of gratitude, Landeskog's captain's attitude makes him a little hesitant to embrace this comeback narrative.
“I don’t want to make it about myself all the time," Landeskog said. "I think there’s been a lot of attention on me lately. A part of me understands why, but as someone who’s been in this sport and this game for essentially my whole life - it’s not about you. It’s about the team. This kind of goes against that a little bit, but I think we all understand what a long road it’s been. There were moments of doubt, I think it would be foolish to not take a second and enjoy it and really soak it in.”
With the series tied and heading back to Dallas, the Avalanche seem to have their swagger back.
And if Landeskog continues to play at this level, they'll continue to be the favorites to lift Lord Stanley's Cup.
