Landeskog scores 1st goal since 2022, Avalanche fans go wild at Ball Arena

Gabriel Landeskog is back and better than ever.

The Colorado Avalanche captain scored his first goal since 2022 during Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena on Saturday.

With a 2-0 lead in the second period, Landeskog received the puck from forward Brock Nelson in the slot and snapped a shot past Stars goalie Jake Oettinger to extend the Avalanche's lead.

Landeskog was swarmed by his linemates and celebrated with a group hug. The Avalanche captain grinned from ear to ear as he high fived the bench. He earned some extra hugs and hat pats from his teammates as he got off the ice.

Avalanche fans erupted in the stands. They stayed on their feet after play resumed and started "Landy! Landy!" chants.

“It felt really good,” Landeskog said in an intermission interview with Altitude TV. “Yeah, it’s great I don’t know what else to say. It’s super exciting and it’s hard scoring goals in the NHL, it felt really good.”

In Game 3 on Wednesday, the veteran forward played in his first game since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 26, 2022. He spent the last three seasons recovering from a knee injury, including a cartilage transplant in 2023.

Landeskog’s last goal was on June 20, 2022, when he scored twice against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.