Recap: Gabe Landeskog after debut with Eagles: ‘Physically, I feel great’

Gabe Landeskog played hockey tonight but it was for the Colorado Eagles in Loveland!

Loveland, CO — We were in the house for the biggest night in Colorado Eagles history as Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog appeared as part of the AHL club tonight. His much-anticipated return was truly something to see, and the fans at Blue Arena welcomed him with a standing ovation! Let’s talk about how things went for #92 and see if the Eagles could get closer to securing that top seed in the central division.

First Period

Things started with a bang as Aaron Schneekloth got right to it and iced Gabe for the opening face-off. Would you have it any other way? Listen to the pop of this crowd as Landeskog’s name was announced in the starting lineup!

Now, let’s talk about that first shift! Gabe appeared to feel things out early but warmed up as the period continued. He earned himself a shot and even spent some time in the penalty box. Just before the period ended, Landeskog got into a scuffle behind the net and stuck up for his teammates the way we know he can! The Eagles got on the board first when Calle Rosen (yeah, that Calle Rosen) found Chase Bradley, who buried a two-on-one chance to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Second Period

Landeskog participated in both sides of the special teams approach in the second period. First, we caught a glimpse of his power play ability, and it was great to see Gabe in front of the net, just like we were hoping. Then we saw some of him on the penalty kill, where he earned a quality short-handed look.

The Eagles are a good team, and Nikita Prishchepov showed us why he’s spent some time up with the big boys after a nifty move and an inevitable goal from the back end of the HSK goalie.

Third Period

In the final frame, we saw more rough stuff and physical play involving Landy, but ultimately, neither team scored. It felt like Gabe might get an empty-netter, but it didn’t happen. Trent Miner was clutch in the six-on-five scenario and did all he could to keep the Silver Knights off the board.

Takeaways

This one meant a lot to the Eagles, and they made that clear whenever a mic was in front of them. T.J. Tynan said, “No one can imagine what he’s been through,” as he spoke highly of Gabe and his presence here tonight.

Gabe looked just fine tonight, and everything went according to plan. The real question will be how he will feel tomorrow and the next day as the wear and tear of high-level hockey starts to show up. I’m optimistic based on what I saw tonight. He wasn’t afraid to get dirty in the corners and put himself in harm’s way for the team’s betterment.

In the post-game presser, Landeskog mentioned, “physically, I feel great” and discussed how much he has leaned on his support group over these last few years, saying, “You never do something like this alone, you never do anything in life alone.” Gabe still seemed to have that uncanny clear-headed demeanor about him, which gave me feelings of optimism.

Overall, it was a successful night for the Colorado Eagles, who are still hunting for that division title. It couldn’t have hurt to have Gabe on the bench. Coach Schneekloth quickly noted that “Gabe was vocal on the bench” when I asked if his vocal leadership showed up tonight. He also praised Trent Miner, who saved all 31 shots and was the unsung hero of the evening with a crucial performance in a big game for his squad.

Up Next

Tomorrow night will possibly be another installment of the Gabe Landeskog show in Loveland as the Henderson Silver Knights return to Blue Arena for the weekend’s second game. Let’s run it back.