#5: Landeskog Participates in Captain Fight
Colorado Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog’s captain fight capped the 2014 year. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The other four events seem like real accomplishments. On the face of it, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog’s fight against Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd may not seem in the same league. And maybe it is not. However, it was a significant and exciting moment in an otherwise disappointing first half to the season.
Not to linger on the negatives, but the Avalanche did not start the much-anticipated 2014-15 season the way the Avs Nation and they themselves had hoped. It took them far too long to even get to 500 hockey, and they didn’t manage to stay there for long. They had some really disappointing stretches, including a slump by Landeskog himself, and a time of getting booed in the Pepsi Center.
Those depressing facts did not change in the course of the Jets game, though the Avs did win. Rather, the fight between the two captains showed a spark from the Avalanche that many felt had been missing. It was a spirited fight to be sure, and one that Landeskog won by all accounts, including Winnipeg’s own media.
However, the significance of the battle came in the fact of the battle itself, the fact that the Avalanche had enough in them in the midst of the depressing season to still show some spark. It was the fact of our young, handsome captain throwing down with an older, more experienced player — and winning. It gave the Avs Nation hope for the team and for the season.
So, as 2014 nears its close, and with just one more game until the new year, let’s remember the positives from the year for Colorado Avalanche hockey. There have been some disappointments, but the Avalanche are our team, and they never stay down.