Gabriel Landeskog doesn’t feel the pressure of Game 6, says it’s “another day in paradise”

Gabriel Landeskog has been in a lot of elimination games in his career for the Colorado Avalanche, and he knows more than anyone the importance of controlling the emotions of the game

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

May 1, 2025, 12:52 PM

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The Colorado Avalanche didn’t have their captain on the ice when their backs were against the wall in two consecutive seasons. In the four elimination games they have played without Gabriel Landeskog since winning the Stanley Cup, the Avs are 2-2 but have not won at Ball Arena.

They have a chance to rewrite the script for Game 6 on Thursday, and they have their captain back leading the charge.

“I’m really excited, it’s another day in paradise to me,” Landeskog said at morning skate on Thursday. “Great opportunity, backs are against the wall in a must-win here at home, doesn’t get much better. These are the moments, these competitive moments, where you really miss when you don’t have this and you’ve been out.”

In his career, Landeskog has played in eight elimination games for the Avalanche (he was injured for Game 7 against Dallas in 2020). In those eight games, Colorado has a 4-4 record, while Landeskog has two goals and three assists. After being off the ice for almost three years, and not facing elimination once in the dominant 2022 run, it’s time for him to step up to the challenge once again.

In elimination games, the Avalanche are 25-26 dating back to 1981 when the franchise faced its first elimination game. In the first round, the franchise has gone 9-11 when facing elimination, and has gone 4-4 when facing elimination against Dallas. Whichever way you look at it, the history states that it’s pretty much a coin flip on whether or not the Avalanche will win an elimination game.

Jared Bednar chuckled when he heard how Landeskog described Game 6 for the Avalanche.

“He seems pretty relaxed and focused and ready to go. Just looking forward to going out and out-competing the opposition tonight, and that’s the mindset that all of our guys should have to a certain extent, and he’s relayed that to our group and I think it was a great share by him,” Bednar said on Thursday.

Another aspect of elimination games that Landeskog pointed out was the emotions surrounding them. While the Avalanche have a lot of guys on the roster who have been in this position before, the captain emphasized the importance of keeping those emotions in check.

“It’s natural to get excited and whatever, you got to kind of channel those emotions and approach it like you need to play your best game, really,” Landeskog said. “That means keeping your discipline, making sure you’re staying strong within your systems, but when it’s time for that extra effort, you need it. I’m confident in this group that we’ll all pull it out when we need it, make sure our brains are turned on in all situations.”

Puck drop from Ball Arena, potentially for the final time this season, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Denver time.