Gabe Landeskog Scoring His First NHL Goal In Over 1000 Days Rules So Damn Hard
Icon Sportswire. Getty Images.Gabe Landeskog's injury struggles have been well documented at this point. It all goes back 5 years at this point when he took a skate blade right above his knee in the 2020 playoffs. He was able to play the next season but the injury never fully healed up. So he underwent another knee surgery in March of 2022. Somehow he was able to come back in time for the 2022 playoffs and lead the Avs to a Stanley Cup that year. But after getting another knee surgery after that Cup run, he missed the entire 2022-23 season, got another surgery that resulted in him missing the entire 2023-24 season, and the missed the entire regular season in 2024-25.
3 full years of hockey. Over 1000 days away from the game. He had already won the ultimate goal as being a Stanley Cup winning captain, so it could be easy to understand if returning to hockey just wasn't in the cards for Gabriel Landeskog. Quite literally the last time an NHL captain returned to hockey after being out for that long was back when guys had to go fight in WWII.
Gabe Landeskog is a hockey player. And whether it's because he loves the game so much, or he just doesn't know what life would be like without the game, Landeskog found a way to stick with it and finally return to the ice in an Avalanche sweater. 1032 days since hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head, Landeskog was back out there again for the Avs in the playoffs. And just a few days later, he scored his first goal in 3 years to pile on the Stars in game 4.
It is near goddamn impossible not to be romantic about hockey. Just ask this fella in the Landy jersey in the crowd after he hammered home that shot.
9 months from now there's going to be another little Gabriel born in the Denver area. I wouldn't be shocked to find out this happy couple just left during the 2nd intermission to get home to conceive. Don't ever tell me that this is just a game.
Best of 3 series coming up between Colorado and Dallas, and now the Avs added a little magic to their run. That's the last thing the Stars needed to see.