Landeskog Marks Triumphant Return With First Goal Back
Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche battling the New York Islanders on January 6, 2020. Photo by Quintin Soloviev. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Written by Gina Anton
DENVER — After a long and grueling road back to NHL action, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog needed just one clean moment to remind Ball Arena why his presence matters so deeply. On a night buzzing with anticipation, he delivered by burying his first official goal since returning to the lineup and igniting a surge of emotion throughout the building.
It wasn’t the first puck he had put in the net since his comeback, but it was the first one that counted. Earlier in his return stretch, Landeskog had a pair of goals waved off. One for goaltender interference, another due to an offside challenge. Each disallowed tally added to the mounting frustration, making Tuesday night’s breakthrough feel even more significant.
Landeskog, who had battled through an extended absence marked by surgeries, setbacks, and uncertainty, found the back of the net with the kind of instinctive finish that has long defined his game. The crowd rose instantly, roaring with a mixture of relief and celebration as his teammates swarmed him near the crease.
For Landeskog, the goal wasn’t just a personal milestone but a psychological breakthrough which he made clear in a post game interview.
“It was nice to just be done with it,” Landeskog said. “I've tried to just kind of focus on my game and what I do on a shift-to-shift basis, and the outcome is what it is. But having said that, obviously you'd like to go home and know that you at least got one on the score sheet and then just kind of move forward with it. My son will be happy tomorrow morning when he wakes up to the news. So, that'll be good. He keeps asking me. I just go, ‘Nope, not yet.’”
The locker room erupted with the kind of energy typically reserved for playoff victories. Players joked, tapped him on the helmet, and offered congratulatory shoves recognizing not just the goal, but the journey it showed. Coaches praised his resilience, noting how seamlessly he has reintegrated into the lineup despite the magnitude of his layoff.
On the ice, his timing and confidence grew as the night progressed. He drove plays along the boards, absorbed contact, and re-established his identity as the emotional engine of the Avalanche.
Fans had waited a long time to see No. 92 celebrate again. Tuesday night, he gave them a moment they won’t soon forget.
And for Landeskog, although he got a point on the scoresheet, it was also proof that the climb back was worth it.
