Good & Bad: Landeskog Scores In Avalanche’s Dominating Game 4 Victory

DENVER — When the Avalanche were pouring it on, when Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was standing on his head keeping the home team from building on its lead, it was the captain who finally broke through.

Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in 1,041 days on Saturday, helping the Avs to a crucial 4-0 victory in Game 4. The series is tied 2-2, heading back to Dallas for Game 5 on Monday.

“There’s only one Gabe Landeskog in the world,” superstar center and longtime teammate Nathan MacKinnon said.

Colorado led 2-0 after the first period thanks to tallies from Logan O’Connor and MacKinnon. One came shorthanded, the other was on the power play. Still, the Avs were struggling to beat Oettinger at 5-on-5.

In the second period, they outshot the Stars 22-5 and could’ve completely run away with the game had the goalie not been playing that well. Landeskog’s tally ended that run.

The 32-year-old received a drop pass from Brock Nelson and fired it past Oettinger to make it 3-0. It was not only his first shot on goal since returning, but it was his first shot attempt entirely.

“I’ve envisioned scoring again for a long time. And then there were obviously days where I didn’t know if I was ever going to get to score again,” Landeskog said. “It feels good. It’s a tight playoff series and a big game here at home, to get to do it in front of our fans means a lot.

“Hopefully more to come.”

Following Wednesday’s 2-1 OT loss, Avs coach Jared Bednar was looking for a shake-up to awaken his top-six group. Landeskog was elevated to the second line, swapping places with Jonathan Drouin, who had played previously on both the first and second lines.

It certainly helped. Artturi Lehkonen was reunited with Martin Necas and MacKinnon on the top line, and that trio, despite not scoring at even strength, had an exceptional performance.

But the second line was the one that got a bump on the scoresheet. It wasn’t just Landeskog; center Brock Nelson, who didn’t have a point in the first three games, had two assists and nearly scored if not for a big save from Oettinger.

Colorado outshot Dallas 48-23. The top six accounted for 18 of them. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood earned his first career playoff shutout.

“It was his best game of the series, for sure,” Bednar said. “We needed our big boys to step up tonight, obviously, and make a difference, and I thought all of them were outstanding, including Brock.”

Colorado came out flying to start the game. It was the type of energy that was lacking from their start three nights earlier.

The team had the first handful of chances and even killed off an early O’Connor penalty. But a few minutes later, Devon Toews shot the puck over the glass and was called for delay of game.

On the ensuing Stars power play, O’Connor took the puck away from Thomas Harley at the blueline. The Stars defender lost his balance as he tried to get back and was suddenly chasing behind the Avs forward.

O’Connor entered the Dallas zone and wired it past Oettinger, getting his second of the series and fifth point. For the fourth time in four games, Colorado had the first goal in the series. And for O’Connor, it’s his fifth point, which is tied with MacKinnon for the most on either team through four games.

“He’s taken steps every year. And I think it starts with his work ethic. It’s hard to match,” Landeskog said of O’Connor.

The Avs added to their lead late in the period. Just 24 seconds before the intermission, MacKinnon scored on the power play from the circle. His shot looked to be initially stopped by the goalie, but it squeaked by and went past the goal line.

The Avs’ dominating effort in the second period carried over into the third. But they went up against backup goalie Casey DeSmith. He replaced Oettinger to start the third, and head coach Pete DeBoer later said it was to get him in a game. Ultimately, Oettinger was on an island and his head coach wanted to pull him to prepare for the next one.

The Avs added a goal from Girard to make it 4-0. Girard shot it from the point while Landeskog was in front battling with big blueliner Lian Bichsel. The puck deflected in, and Landeskog was credited with the secondary assist.

Good: Landeskog Battles

This entire performance from Landeskog has been unimaginable. It’s been a blur for him. But, to me, his play on that Girard goal was the cherry on top.

Landeskog already defied the odds by making a comeback. He’s already shown that he can throw his body around, lay some hits, and even score a goal on his first shot. But those battles in the crease are what make him the effective player he always was.

Against a behemoth of a defender, Landeskog was successful in that puck battle and it led to a goal. If that’s a sign of things to come, this entire Landeskog thing is about to become a serious problem for any team facing the Avalanche.

Bad: Pete DeBoer… Waved the White Flag?

If I’m a Stars fan, I’m very upset with this decision. DeBoer said after the game that he pulled Oettinger after the second period to get him some rest and give DeSmith a little bit of game action.

I mean let’s face it. There was almost nothing that was going to help Dallas overcome that three-goal deficit at the second intermission. Three-goal leads aren’t always safe, but in a game as one-sided as this, it felt like it.

But that doesn’t change the fact that it sure feels like a coach threw in the towel on a game that wasn’t entirely out of reach. Maybe I’m overreacting, but the optics don’t look great.