Colorado Avalanche: Saying Goodbye to the 2014-15 Season
Gabriel Landeskog‘s Captaincy
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has turned into the type of power forward coach Roy wants to see. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Color analyst Peter McNab remarked before the beginning of the season that this would be the first real season of Gabriel Landeskog’s captaincy. He pointed out that, not only was he only 19 his first season as captain, but it was the lockout shortened year. The next season was the Olympics, and that was an atypical year. This year we’d see what’s what.
Boy, did we ever, and every bit of it delights me. It was a year of adversity, including for Landeskog. He suffered that goal-scoring drought that lasted all of December. Yet what emerged from that adversity was a power captain we can have proud to be ours.
When Landy couldn’t score, he hit and he fought. He may not be critical in the locker room, but he’s certainly been supportive — and honest — with the media. I suspect it’s the same in the locker room. Apparently he’s even become head coach Patrick Roy’s right hand man when it comes to team temperature.
And once Landy started scoring… Boy, it reminded all of us of why he was the Calder Trophy winner his rookie year and an Olympian last year.