Gabriel Landeskog didn’t mince words after the Colorado Avalanche’s season ended dramatically Saturday night. The Avalanche captain gave a blunt answer when asked about Mikko Rantanen’s third-period hat trick that led the Dallas Stars to a 4-2 comeback win in Game 7.
Gabriel Landeskog Gives Blunt Reaction to Mikko Rantanen’s Hat Trick
“I couldn’t care less who scored for them,” Landeskog said. “I really couldn’t. I’ve told you, Mikko’s one of my best friends, and I love him, but I couldn’t care whether he scored or somebody else.”
The Avalanche were up 2-0 early in the third period before giving up four unanswered goals. Once a big piece of Colorado’s lineup, Rantanen led the charge. His three goals in the final frame didn’t just eliminate his old team — they also made NHL history. He became the first player to score a hat trick in the third period of a Game 7.
Even with their close friendship, Landeskog stayed focused on his own team’s heartbreak rather than Rantanen’s record-setting night. The forward, who recently returned from a long injury layoff, called the loss “tough” and pointed to one sequence as the turning point.
“Have a great start to the period, I think we came back down, created some good looks and stayed on the gas, earned the power play, and you know, Cale breaks his stick… they get a power play out of it. And all of a sudden, it’s a tie hockey game after that,” he said.
Landeskog’s frustration was evident as he described the breakdown that led to the Avalanche’s collapse. A strong start turned into costly mistakes, and the team didn’t recover.
“We talk about the margin for error in the playoffs is really small,” he noted. “I mean, that’s how small it is.”
Landeskog Watches Rantanen Make NHL History Against Former Team
Rantanen’s Game 7 heroics added even more drama to a wild series. After contract talks fell, Colorado traded him in January, first to Carolina, then to Dallas, where he signed an eight-year, $96 million deal.
Saturday felt like a revenge story playing out live. Rantanen tied the game, assisted the go-ahead goal, and sealed it with an empty-netter. He finished the period with four points and became the first player in NHL history to record back-to-back four-point periods in the playoffs.
Even Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar had to give him credit.
“That’s the thing with Miko. It’s not about always just creating multiple chances or every time he touches the puck, but big moments,” Bednar said.
Rantanen ended the series with five goals and 12 points in seven games, leading Dallas into the second round. They await the winner of Winnipeg vs. St. Louis.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Landeskog and the Avalanche face another early postseason exit and questions about what comes next. But on Saturday night, there was no hiding from the bitter end, or the sting of watching a former teammate shine.
