DENVER — Gabriel Landeskog will make his long-awaited return to the Colorado Avalanche against the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round at Ball Arena on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; Victory+, ESPN, ALT, TVAS2, SN360).
The forward and Avalanche captain has been battling a knee injury and hasn’t played in the NHL since winning the Stanley Cup on June 26, 2022. He played with Colorado of the American Hockey League on a conditioning stint April 11 and 12.
Landeskog participated in the morning skate, was activated from long-term injured reserve and went through warmups Monday but didn’t play in a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 2.
He participated in the morning skate again Wednesday and was on the right flank of the second power play. Defenseman Devon Toews, the point man on that unit, said he was trying to get him different looks in different situations to get him accustomed to playing.
“If he’s ready, he’s ready,” Toews said. “He’s not going to say he’s ready if he’s not, if he doesn’t feel like he can help our team win. It’s about helping our team, and if he feels he can do that, then I’m sure he’ll be telling [Bednar] he’s good to go.”
Center Nathan MacKinnon said, “I know he’s feeling good, so we’ll see if he comes in.”
The best-of-7 series is tied 1-1. In this situation in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the winner of Game 3 has won the series 66.1 percent of the time (240-123).
Here is a breakdown of Game 3:
Stars: Coach Pete DeBoer said defenseman Miro Heiskanen is getting closer to returning from a lower-body injury but remains out. Defenseman Thomas Harley has carried the load in Heiskanen’s absence, leading Dallas in average ice time (31:44), scoring a goal and assisting on another. Goalie Jake Oettinger is 1-1 with a 3.06 goals-against average and .885 save percentage in this series.
Avalanche: Bednar said he might shake up the top six. MacKinnon has four points (three goals, one assist) in two games. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is 1-1 with a 2.18 GAA and .921 save percentage through the first two postseason starts of his NHL career. Since Colorado acquired him in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 9, he has gone 14-4-2 with a 1.98 GAA, .921 save percentage and three shutouts at Ball Arena.
