The Colorado Avalanche know a thing or two about playing without some of their key players. Gabriel Landeskog is one of the biggest examples of a player whose absence becomes notable. They spent three whole seasons without their captain, and it cost them big time during each of their postseasons. Now, unfortunately, they’ll have to continue their push for the top position in the NHL without him for a little while.
Per reports from Sunday, Landeskog is out week-to-week following the lower-body injury he suffered against the Dallas Stars, and obviously missed Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, which the Avs came out on top in a shootout win.
The Avalanche have 20 games remaining in the regular season and after Sunday’s game sit nine points ahead of the Stars in the standings. Colorado is 8-2 in their last 10 games, which includes a five-game win streak. Landeskog has now missed 15 games this season.
The captain has found a comfortable spot on the top line for the Avs alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. Jared Bednar is notorious for switching up lines during the season, but Landeskog and Necas often make up the wings alongside MacKinnon on the top line. When Landeskog is back healthy, the Avalanche will be very hard to stop. They already are, but with Nazem Kadri back into the mix, things get scarier for opposing teams.
On Sunday, Colorado had a number of nice chances on their power play. Despite not being able to convert, they’re putting more things together, including the addition of Kadri. On the first power play, you have Brock Nelson, MacKinnon, Kadri, Necas and Makar. On the second power play are Nichushkin, Ross Colton, Gavin Brindley, Devon Toews and Brent Burns. This team has so much depth, it’s scary.
They just have to put everything together to finally have a truly flawless game. Their biggest achilles heel is their power play, and despite giving up a goal while on the penalty kill on Sunday, I am hoping that it was just a fluke.