Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog sends bold message after scoring against Stars in Stanley Cup Playoffs

After nearly three years away from the ice, Colorado Avalanche star Gabriel Landeskog made a storybook return, scoring a goal in an emotional matchup against the Dallas Stars, that not only marked his comeback but also helped reignite his team’s push in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jared Bednar’s squad swept their rivals with a commanding 4-0 win, tying the series at two games apiece. While the Avalanche’s victory was crucial, the headline of the night was undoubtedly the return to the scoresheet for Gabriel Landeskog, who found the back of the net against the Stars.

Following the final whistle, it was the veteran left winger himself who spoke to the media, opening up about what this goal meant to him in his career — a moment he had dreamed of for a long time during his grueling road to recovery.

“I’ve envisioned scoring again for a long time, and then there were obviously days where I didn’t know if I was ever going to get to score again,” said Landeskog via NHL.com. “So obviously it feels good. It’s a tight playoff series and a big game here at home. To get to do it in front of our fans obviously means a lot. So super exciting. Hopefully more to come.”

Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche scores a goal past Casey DeSmith #1 of the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 26, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.

Landeskog’s goal put the Avs up 3-0 in a pivotal moment of the game, effectively breaking the spirit of their opponents. It was a long time coming — the Colorado captain hadn’t scored in an NHL game since June 20, 2022, during a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

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The emotion of McKinnon after Landeskog’s goal

The goal scored by Landeskog meant a lot for the Avalanche, not only for extending their lead over the Stars, but also for the simple fact that one of their historic players returned to the NHL in the most glorious way possible.

“It was kind of more than just a playoff goal. I think it was a life goal. It meant a lot to all of us for him to score a goal, and then he had an assist,” Nathan MacKinnon said also via NHL.com. “It was just awesome out there. It means a ton to us for him to score that goal at home. That was so cool.

“It’s crazy, honestly. It’s beyond all of our expectations. I was kind of laughing in my head, but he’s like ‘I don’t think there’s a difference between a month off or three years off. And I was thinking, like ‘Hmm, whatever. OK.’ But he was right. It looks like he’s been out for four weeks.”

Bednar’s analysis of this series

If there are any evenly matched series in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s the one between the Avalanche and the Stars. The question of who will come out victorious remains unanswered. Jared Bednar, the experienced head coach of Colorado, shared his thoughts on what he’s seen from his team so far.

“I like the way we’ve played in this series. We didn’t get the result we wanted in Game 2 and Game 3,” Bednar said. “There’s certainly some things in both those games that we could have done better, including Game 1 and at times even tonight.

“The only score that matters is the score at the end of the game. I’m not going to be happy unless we’re winning hockey games, but I like a lot of the things we’re doing.”