Gabriel Landeskog kept turning up in the middle of the Colorado Avalanche’s Western Conference finals against the Vegas Golden Knights, scoring a goal in the third period of Game 1 on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver and adding another in the first period of Game 3 on Sunday, May 24, 2026, in Las Vegas.
The Avalanche left wing also checked Jack Eichel in the second period of Game 1, giving Colorado a physical edge in a series that has already tilted on the kind of plays that do not stay in the box score for long. In Game 1, Brayden McNabb had trouble controlling the puck as Carter Hart ran into Landeskog, a collision that helped set the tone for the night.
Those moments mattered because the Avalanche and Golden Knights were meeting in the Western Conference finals Stanley Cup playoff series in May 2026, where every shift can decide the shape of a game. Landeskog’s goals in two different games made him one of the most visible players on the ice, while his hit on Eichel showed Colorado was willing to pressure Vegas beyond scoring chances alone.
The contrast between the two games is part of what gives Landeskog’s run its weight. In Denver, he was in the right place late and finished in the third period of Game 1. In Las Vegas, he scored early in Game 3 with Noah Hanifin and Devon Toews on the ice, another reminder that Colorado is finding ways to make him part of the series from different angles.
What happens next is the part both teams have to live with now: Landeskog has already shown he can affect the series in the crease area, along the boards and on the scoreboard. If the Golden Knights do not clean up the space around him, Colorado will keep getting the kind of possessions that change playoff games fast.
