Gabriel Landeskog had a sport that one of the NHL’s supreme gamers of all time would had been joyful with, as the Colorado Avalanche captain recorded a “Gordie Howe” Hat Trick with a unbiased, an back and a fight in Recreation 1 of the team’s first-spherical playoff series in opposition to the St. Louis Blues.
Landeskog and his linemates of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen diagram the tone in the contest and contributed three targets in the third interval on Monday at Ball Enviornment to give the Avalanche a 4-1 hang versus the rival Blues.
The Stockholm, Sweden, native accomplished with a unbiased and two assists in Recreation 1 for his second profession three-point time out and eighth multi-point evening in the postseason. Landeskog also had a unbiased and two assists on April 17, 2018 in Recreation 3 of the Spherical 1 series versus the Nashville Predators.
“Listen, playoffs, you open over, accurate? , your stats throughout the unheard of season construct no longer subject. In actuality, your postseason stats construct no longer subject at all,” Landeskog mentioned. “For us, it be about wins and losses and that is the reason what it comes down to. Yeah, I’m pleased that I turn out to be as soon as in a job to make a contribution, however as a team I believed we played a stable sport. Second interval, in opposition to the stop of it, we extra or much less received away from our sport, however I believed overall the third interval turn out to be as soon as basically accurate and all people chipped in, all people played nicely.”
Video: Landeskog after his three-point efficiency in Recreation 1
It turn out to be as soon as Landeskog’s first-ever Gordie Howe hat trick, and the team’s first in the postseason since Mike Ricci in Recreation 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on April 16, 1997 at McNichols Enviornment in Denver.
Valeri Nichushkin had the membership’s closing recorded “Gordie Howe,” doing so in the unheard of season on Dec. 23, 2019 on the Vegas Golden Knights.
“I believed Gabe turn out to be as soon as prominent, leading the intention accurate away, even leaping in and getting eager physically when Mikko took that hit,” mentioned head coach Jared Bednar.
Landeskog lit a fireplace in front of the 7,741 veil-carrying crowd at Ball Enviornment with a fight at 10: 47 of the first interval with the Blues’ Brayden Schenn, moments after Schenn collided with Rantanen in the unbiased zone. It turn out to be as soon as the first fight by a Colorado player in the postseason since Cody McCormick in Recreation 2 of the 2008 Western Conference Semifinals in opposition to the Detroit Crimson Wings’ Darren McCarty (April 26, 2008).
The Avalanche captain mentioned there had been about a causes why he dropped the gloves with Schenn, and no longer all of them had been because of that particular hit.
“Clearly I will come up for my teammates,” Landeskog mentioned. “I did no longer judge the hit turn out to be as soon as that dangerous. I judge Mikko tried to dodge him a minute bit, he is accessible in. I construct no longer judge he place his knee out or anything else, I construct no longer judge it turn out to be as soon as a unclean play. I extra or much less had a feeling that Schenn turn out to be as soon as going to fling around a minute bit in the first interval. He’s a bodily player, he is a accurate player, so correct needed to come up for my teammates. Clearly right here, taking half in at dwelling, I believed our first 10 minutes of that interval turn out to be as soon as a minute bit, we had been tiptoeing into it a minute bit, some nerves and adrenaline or whatever, so I believed that turn out to be as soon as going to aloof it down a minute bit and win the crowd into it.”
Video: STL@COL, Gm1: Landeskog deflects a shot into the salvage
Landeskog scored at 8: 30 of the third interval to give Colorado a 3-1 lead on the time, as he turn out to be as soon as in a job to deflect Nathan MacKinnon‘s one-time blast from the blue line into the salvage while stationed in the low slot. He had assists on every of MacKinnon’s markers in the third interval that secured the Avs a 1-0 lead in basically the most productive-of-seven series.
“He’s the captain for a reason,” mentioned defenseman Cale Makar postgame. “Mediate he had a Gordie Howe hat trick, so for us that turn out to be as soon as a accurate tempo setter accurate away. We would indulge in received away from our sport a minute bit in the second interval there, however we had been in a job to get grasp of a intention in the third. So I judge he in actual fact diagram the tempo.”
The uncommon hat trick is named after Howe, who is currently fourth all-time in league scoring with 1,850 factors and introduced a aggregate of offense and physicality to the intention he played the sport, all 1,767 in his NHL profession that spanned from 1946 to 1980–a league file he held till Patrick Marleau broke it this past season (1,779).
THREE-POINT MACK
Nathan MacKinnon joined Landeskog with a 3-point evening, contributing two targets and an back. It turn out to be as soon as his 17th multi-point time out in the postseason, the fourth-most in the membership’s historical past.
MacKinnon now has 22 profession playoff targets and moved staunch into a tie with Adam Deadmarsh (22) for ninth diagram in franchise historical past. His three factors give him 57 in his profession, and he surpassed every Claude Lemieux (55) and Deadmarsh (56) in the sport for the eighth-most factors in Colorado/Quebec historical past. His now 35 assists are tied for sixth in the annals.
In Avs historical past (since 1995-96), the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, native ranks seventh in targets, fifth in assists and sixth in factors.
MacKinnon’s first unbiased of the sport turn out to be as soon as the sport-winner, the sixth of his profession in the postseason to lope staunch into a tie with Alex Tanguay for fourth in franchise playoff historical past.
RETURN FROM INJURIES
The Avalanche received some bodies encourage in the lineup for Recreation 1 as forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Brandon Saad returned to action after missing time with respective decrease-physique accidents.
MacKinnon overlooked four of the closing 5 unheard of-season games, most productive suiting up in closing Monday’s time out on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Saad’s previous sport turn out to be as soon as April 24 at St. Louis, as he turn out to be as soon as unavailable for the closing 11 outings of the season.
“Or no longer it is been relaxing to stare the things they bring out, next man-up mentality, completely different forms of wins every sport and clearly cap it off with the Presidents’ Trophy, I’m mad for the team,” Saad mentioned after morning skate of the Avs’ fling in the closing weeks of the season. “Broad accomplishment, however we’re having a stare forward to the playoffs.”
Defenseman Conor Timmins also suited up after no longer being in a job to construct the season finale on Thursday in opposition to the Los Angeles Kings.
GOALIE UPDATES
Devan Dubnyk turn out to be as soon as removed from the NHL’s COVID-protocol checklist on Friday and skated on his possess for the first time sooner than Sunday’s practice. He joined the Avs for morning skate on Monday however did no longer gown in the sport.
Jonas Johansson turn out to be as soon as the backup keeper, suiting up in his first playoff contest, though he did no longer look action.
“I judge JJ has completed a staunch good job for us right here in his closing few starts,” mentioned head coach Jared Bednar sooner than Recreation 1. “He’s been in a job to win greater and enhance every sport since coming to us. He’ll backup tonight. Duby correct received on the ice the day previous to this for the first time, so he goes to desire a minute work to win encourage to the set aside he needs to be. So for now anyways, JJ would possibly well well be the backup.”
Dubnyk had been in COVID protocol since Can also 3.
NEWHOOK’S PLAYOFF DEBUT
Alex Newhook made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, skating 7: 07. He started the contest on the fourth line with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and J.T. Compher.
“, stepping in and clearly getting a huge gamble to play tonight, it be a thrilling second for him, and clearly the organization and training workers look that he can bring something to the desk,” mentioned Brandon Saad sooner than Recreation 1. “Merely seeing it from afar, I have not received to be around him too noteworthy, however clearly he has necessary skill. He’s taking half in with self belief, so all that goes into it, and then taking half in with accurate gamers too helps. But I judge he in actual fact has an infinite future.”
The rookie made his NHL debut on Can also 5 in San Jose and skated in every of the closing six unheard of-season contests, recording three assists.
MORE POSTGAME NOTES
The Avalanche is 28-17 (.622) in Recreation 1 of a most productive-of-seven series, including 19-7 (.731) in such contests on dwelling ice.
Every Colorado skater recorded a shot on salvage, paced by Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin (postseason profession excessive) and Mikko Rantanen with six every.
Mikko Rantanen has now produced 41 factors (13 targets, 28 assists) in 34 profession postseason contests, correct the fourth player in franchise historical past to attain 40 factors in 34 games or fewer: Peter Stastny (28), Joe Sakic (30), Nathan MacKinnon (33).
Philipp Grubauer made his 20th postseason open for the Avalanche, transferring past Jose Theodore for the fourth most by a goaltender in franchise historical past. He earned his 13th playoff hang with Colorado, transferring past Dan Bouchard and into third diagram in Colorado/Quebec historical past.
Cale Makar notched his sixth profession postseason unbiased, surpassing Ray Bourque to salvage sole possession of fourth diagram on the franchise’s checklist of playoff targets by a defenseman.
