Gabriel Landeskog (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/dcb2a103-3b5e-45ee-90f1-c67d7db2a771.jpeg] Gabriel Landeskog (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images) Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche] captain Gabriel Landeskog grabbed the headlines with a storied goal against the Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars] in Game 4 on Saturday. For the first time in nearly three years, Landeskog has scored a goal in the NHL. It took him over 1,000 days to recover from his chronic knee injury that he suffered back in 2020 and lingered for another two years. Furthermore, he has undergone three surgeries since March 2023. Michael Traikos, former NHL coach Bruce Budreau and Ryan Kennedy discuss Gabriel Landeskog's return to the Avalanche's lineup in Game 3 against Dallas. However, he made a dramatic return to the Colorado lineup on Wednesday [https://thehockeynews.com/news/VhTXJ1QWLMyJJAyFaxMM?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fnews%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Dlandeskog%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results] for Game 3, playing his first game since June 2022. Now, in his second game since returning, he has scored his first goal since June 20, 2022. “There were days where I didn’t know if I would ever score again,” Landeskog told reporters after the Avalanche's 4-0 victory over the Stars to tie the series at two games apiece. His goal came in the second period to give the Avs a 3-0 lead. It came off an assist from trade-deadline acquisition Brock Nelson. Nelson recorded his first playoff point as a member of the Avalanche on the play, as he coasted into the offensive zone on the left wing, found Landeskog in the slot, and the Avs captain wired it home. Landeskog’s teammates were smiling ear-to-ear as they joined him along the boards in celebration. And their excitement for him didn’t wear off after the game. “There's only one Gabe Landeskog in the world," said Nathan MacKinnon, a longtime teammate and friend of Landeskog’s. "It was more than just a playoff goal... It was a life goal." Along with teammates, the hockey world acknowledged the incredible comeback story that has unfolded in front of their eyes. NHL on TNT host Liam McHugh said on X (formerly Twitter), “The best story in sports just keeps getting better. Gabe Landeskog buries his first goal in 1,041 days — and the roof is about to rip off of Ball Arena.” [https://x.com/liam_mchugh/status/1916332576907608271] Landeskog’s goal wasn’t the last time he would make an impact in this contest. He added a secondary assist in the third period, connecting with Nelson again, with defenseman Samuel Girard scoring the fourth and final goal of the game – his first goal of the 2025 playoffs. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
