The Colorado Avalanche secured their berth in the playoffs as the 3rd seed in the Central Division with an impressive record. Now all eyes are on the status of star winger Gabe Landeskog. Fans and analysts want to know about Landeskog's injury status, and head coach Jared Bednar recently provided an update on his progress.
In a recent media interaction, a reporter inquired about Landeskog's readiness to participate in team practices.
"Not close. Nothing's really changed with him," Bednar said.
He indicated that Landeskog is still not close to being a team participant in practice.
Despite this, Bednar highlighted Landeskog is focused on returning to the lineup.
"His focus and determination to do everything he can to get back to play is still the same as I've seen him before," he shared "He's going to be dedicated to what he needs to do in order to try and come back into our lineup."
"But nothing's really changed on his rehab front, except for him. He's just going to continue to grind. to try and get back."
Landeskog's injury history includes surgeries on his quad and knee, which caused him to miss significant playing time in previous seasons. His most recent knee surgery in October 2022 was expected to sideline him for 12 weeks. However, there has been progress noted in his recovery journey.
In January 2024, Landeskog stepped onto the ice for the first time since undergoing cartilage transplant surgery in May. That's a positive development in his rehabilitation process.
While his timeline for a return to gameplay remains uncertain, Landeskog is working diligently to overcome his injury challenges.
As the Avalanche gear up for their last game against the Edmonton Oilers, Landeskog's presence will surely be missed by his fans
While Gabe Landeskog takes his time to recover, let's look at Avalanche's 4-3 loss to Knights
On Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights staged a remarkable comeback against the Colorado Avalanche, prevailing 4-3 in overtime. Tomas Hertl was denied an earlier goal due to goaltender interference. However, he redeemed himself with the game-winning power-play goal just 1:23 into overtime.
"Maybe it was karma," he said.
Trailing 3-0 after two periods, the Knights fought back relentlessly. William Karlsson notched two goals and Ivan Barbashev added one to force overtime.
The Knights dominated in the third period and overtime, outshooting Colorado 13-2. Vegas capitalized on power-play opportunities. Josh Manson's penalties proved costly for the Avalanche, including one late in regulation.
Despite goals from Cale Makar, Ross Colton and Mikko Rantanen, the Avalanche couldn't withstand Vegas' relentless pressure.
Vegas's victory tightens the playoff race, narrowing the gap with the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, Colorado remains in contention in the Central Division, trailing the Winnipeg Jets by a slim margin.