- Gabriel Landeskog spoke about the Cup Final that slipped away after Vegas swept Colorado in four games
- The Avs captain returned to a full-time NHL role this season after three years lost to knee complications
- Read below for video of Landeskog’s post-game scrum and the full quote on what hurts most
Gabriel Landeskog knows how rare this all is.
The Avalanche captain spoke at T-Mobile Arena after Colorado’s season ended Tuesday night, a 2-1 Game 4 loss that finished off a Vegas sweep of the Western Conference Final. For a guy who spent three full years buried under knee surgeries and complications, watching another shot at the Cup slip away carried its own weight.
“You never know if you’re ever going to get the chance again,” Landeskog told reporters. “That’s what hurts. It’s hard making the playoffs, and it’s hard winning one round and two rounds, let alone going all the way.”
Watch the captain’s full answer:
Landeskog wouldn’t dress up where the Avs ended up. He talked about belief, about the room, and about how thin the line gets in May.
“I think for us, believing in this group, believe in the guys that we have in this organization, and we’ll give ourselves the best chance possible come year after year,” he said.
The personal layer is what made the quote land. Landeskog hadn’t suited up for a full NHL regular season since the spring he hoisted the Cup. A knee issue and the surgeries that followed cost him 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25.
He didn’t get back to game action until a partial run in last year’s playoffs. This season was the comeback. He put up 35 points in 60 regular-season games, then chipped in six goals and five assists across 13 playoff contests.
Then it was gone. Mark Stone opened the scoring on a Brayden McNabb feed, Cole Smith added insurance late, and the Avs couldn’t solve Carter Hart even after pulling Mackenzie Blackwood. Catch the Game 4 highlights:
Vegas closed the door on a Colorado team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and tore through the first two rounds. For more on how the Knights finished the sweep, see Gino Hard’s Game 4 recap.
Landeskog’s read on what comes next was simple. Get up.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last handful of years, it’s [when] you get knocked down, you just get right back up,” he said. “I think that’s the only way to do it.”
