Gabriel Landeskog’s teammates rushed to embrace him, all with smiles on their faces.
They all knew, to an extent, what this journey had been like for the Colorado Avalanche captain.
He’s the only one that fully knows.
But the storybook return got its goal on Saturday night. Landeskog, back on the ice in these playoffs for his first NHL action since the 2022 postseason, slotted home Colorado’s third in Game 4 against the Stars.
GABRIEL LANDESKOG HAS HIS FIRST GOAL SINCE THE 2022 STANLEY CUP FINAL! 👏 pic.twitter.com/7bpu2LmTtK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 27, 2025
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The captain returned in Game 3 of the series after sitting out the first two.
Landeskog had been out because of a chronic right knee injury that needed multiple surgeries.
He did go on a two-game rehab assignment to the AHL before the playoffs began to get some game action in.
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The knee that was initially hurt in 2020 and eventually begun being repaired in 2022 was finally well enough to allow Landeskog to make his return.
It took him just into a second game to return to his goal-scoring ways.
He might not be perfectly up to the speed of an NHL game, but Landeskog just seems extremely grateful to be out there at all.
Getting a meaningful goal just serves as icing on the comeback cake.
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