Landeskog’s “Gordie Howe hat trick” powers Avs to Game 1 win

The Colorado Avalanche started their Stanley Cup playoff run in style; outskating, outshooting and outscoring the Blues in their 4-1 victory on Monday. With perennial Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon and two-time Cup winner Brandon Saad back in the fold, captain Gabriel Landeskog set the tone in the first period after St. Louis’ Brayden Schenn caused knee-on-knee contact with Mikko Rantanen, the Avs’ leading scorer. Rantanen was fortunately uninjured, but Landeskog wasn’t going to stand for it, starting a surprisingly one-sided fight with Schenn moments later.

“Obviously, I’m going to stand up for my teammates,” Landeskog said. “I didn’t think the hit was that bad. I think Mikko tried to dodge him a little bit. I don’t think he put his knee out or anything; I don’t think it was a dirty play. I kind of had a feeling that Schenn was going to run around a little bit in the first period. He’s a physical player, he’s a good player, so just had to stand up for my teammates. Obviously here, playing at home, I thought (during) our first 10 minutes of that period… we were tiptoeing into it a little bit, some nerves and adrenaline or whatever, so I thought that was going to calm it down a little bit and get the crowd into it.”

It certainly did, as the 7,741-strong crowd at Ball Arena roared their approval; 7,742 if you count Landeskog’s coach.

“I thought Gabe was outstanding, leading the way right away, even jumping in and getting involved physically when Mikko took that hit,” head coach Jared Bednar said.

Cale Makar started the scoring on a first-period power-play goal set up by a Rantanen assist, but the Avalanche didn’t score again until 30 seconds into the final period, when MacKinnon broke the game’s 1-1 tie by ripping a one-timed shot past the Blues’ Jordan Binnington off of a Rantanen pass behind the net that was set up by another aggressive, physical play along the boards by Landeskog.

Landeskog himself scored next, completing the famed “Gordie Howe hat trick” (a goal, an assist and a fight) and giving the Avs a commanding, 3-1 lead. MacKinnon finished off the scoring with an emphatic empty-netter that represented the final tally.

Tempers boiled over after the final horn sounded as Blues and Avalanche players scuffled and Binnington skated down the ice, looking for a fight with Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer before he was stopped by an official.

“He can do whatever he wants,” Landeskog said. “He’s not going to get to us. He’s not going to get to ‘Grubi.'”

After the game, as emotions ran cooler, Makar had the simple, final word on Landeskog’s performance and leadership.

“He’s the captain for a reason.”

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NEXT UP: Game 2, Avalanche vs. Blues (Avalanche lead series, 1-0) | Wednesday, May 19 at 8:30 p.m. | TV: CNBC

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NOTES

• Nathan MacKinnon was ready to go after missing four of the last five games, and it showed. His three-point performance gave him a career postseason total of 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 41 games. That average of 1.39 points per game puts MacKinnon among lofty company: the only three players in history to average more are Wayne Gretzky (1.84), Mario Lemieux (1.61) and Barry Pederson (1.53).

• Mikko Rantanen’s pair of assists gave him 41 points (13 goals, 28 assists) in his 34th career postseason game. The only two members of the Avalanche to ever reach 40 postseason points faster were Joe Sakic (30 games) and Nathan MacKinnon (33 games).

• Every Avalanche player recorded a shot on goal Monday. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin led the way with six each.

• Philipp Grubauer was solid in net, and at times spectacular, saving 22-of-23 shots on the night to earn his 13th playoff win as a member of the Avalanche. That places him second on Colorado’s all-time list to only Patrick Roy (81).

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THE FINAL WORD

“We’re skilled and fast, but I also think we’re a tough team. I thought we showed that tonight.” — Gabriel Landeskog.

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LAST NIGHT’S LINES

FORWARDS
Top Line: LW Gabriel Landeskog, C Nathan MacKinnon, RW Mikko Rantanen
Second Line: LW Andre Burakovsky, C Nazem Kadri, RW Joonas Donskoi
Third Line: LW Brandon Saad, C Tyson Jost, LW Valeri Nichushkin
Fourth Line: LW Alex Newhook, C Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, RW J.T. Compher

DEFENSEMEN
Top Pair: LD Devon Toews, RD Cale Makar
Second Pair: LD Ryan Graves, RD Samuel Girard
Third Pair: LD Patrik Nemeth, RD Conor Timmins

GOALTENDER
Starter: Philipp Grubauer

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INJURY WATCH
• Devan Dubnyk (COVID-19 protocol) tested positive for the virus and has been out since May 3. He practiced with the team on May 17.
• Bowen Byram (upper-body injury) will be out until at least mid-May after suffering a setback.
• Logan O’Connor (lower-body injury) was placed on injured reserve on Apr. 2. He has surgery, and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
• Matt Calvert (upper-body injury) missed the Mar. 31 game and was placed on the injured reserve list on Apr. 11.
• Dennis Gilbert (facial injury, COVID-19 protocol) was placed on injured reserve on Feb. 20. He is expected to be out until at least late March.
• Erik Johnson (upper-body injury) left the Jan. 30 game and has no projected return date. On March 25, coach Jared Bednar suggested that it was possible that Johnson could miss the remainder of the season.
• Pavel Francouz (hip) has yet to play this season and remains on injured reserve. On Apr. 12, the Avalanche ruled him out for the rest of the season following hip surgery.

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Shawn Drotar is the host of “The Fan Late Night with Shawn Drotar;” weeknights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight — only on 104.3 The Fan

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