After losing back to back heartbreaking games in overtime to go down 2-1 in the series against the Dallas Stars, the Colorado Avalanche responded with a fury. The Avs crushed the stars right from puck drop on Saturday night in Denver, racing to a 4-0 victory and tying the series at two games each.

With Colorado already up 2-0, Gabriel Landeskog got the feed from Brock Nelson in the slot and fired a wrist shot right by Jake Oettinger for his first NHL goal since coming back from injury. It was the first puck that the Avs captain has put in the back of the net in an NHL game since Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final all the way back in 2022 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That made for an emotional moment in Denver, with fans crying after the goal. After the game, Avalanche executive and franchise legend Joe Sakic poured his heart out to Landeskog, via Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

“It’s just an amazing story. Really. The sport is lucky to have him,” Sakic said. “He’s what every kid probably wants to be as an athlete both on and off the ice. He’s just a great captain.”

Sakic continued gushing about the star winger and what it's like to finally see him back on the ice after almost three years sidelined.

“The words don’t even explain how everyone feels to watch him play after all that time away and to see him and what he’s doing on the ice,” Sakic said, per LeBrun. “I mean, what a competitor, what a leader, what a player. It’s going to inspire a lot of kids. That’s perseverance right there.”

Related Colorado Avalanche NewsArticle continues below
Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (91) against the Dallas Stars during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Flames’ Nazem Kadri takes subtle Mikko Rantanen shot at Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson. All with Avalanche
3 early predictions for Avalanche offseason after Stars series loss
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) hugs Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) after the Stars defeats the Avalanche in game seven of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center.
Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon to play for Team Canada after heartbreaking Game 7 loss

Landeskog is out there with a lot of new teammates that he hasn't played with before, but there are still some familiar faces. Nathan MacKinnon was one of the players on that Stanley Cup team with Landeskog, and the two have taken the ice for plenty of playoff battles alongside one another.

MacKinnon, who is usually not one other show emotion, gushed about the Swede after Game 4, via Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now.

“It was more than just a playoff goal, it was a life goal, MacKinnon said. “It meant a lot to all of us for him to score a goal and have an assist and he was just awesome out there. It means a ton to us for him to score that goal at home, that was so cool. … There's only one Gabe Landeskog in the world.”

Landeskog made an impact all over the ice beyond scoring the goal. He was playing physical hockey, blocking shots and doing all of the grunt work that Avalanche fans are used to seeing out of him. If he can keep it up, Colorado will feel good about its chances of advancing.