What’s impact of Landy’s arrival?
Q >> Will the presence alone of having Gabe Landeskog back in town have an impact on this team? Feels like anytime your captain returns, even during a rehab, would have to change the way the boys are playing.
— Jesse, Denver
BENNETT >> Jared Bednar was actually asked earlier this week if there was any correlation between the renewed presence of Gabriel Landeskog and the Avalanche’s three-goal comeback win vs. Edmonton. The 6-5 overtime win last Sunday was Landeskog’s first game back at Ball Arena after arriving in Denver on Friday night. (He had spent chunks of his recovery time in Toronto and Philadelphia.) Almost magically, the Avs rallied for a signature win against a good Oilers team.
The question of Landeskog’s mystical effect was too tempting not to ask. Here’s what Bednar said: “I think the guys are excited to have him back for sure.
He hadn’t spent a bunch of time around the (team). He came in on game day, so I’m going to say that’s unrelated in this instance.”
In general, everyone in the Avs locker room agrees having the captain around provides a jolt. It’s hard to understate the importance of constructive feedback between peers, which Landeskog provides on a playerto-player level rather than coachto-player. Now that he’s able to actually approach teammates in the locker room and talk through anything face-to-face, there’s a tangible benefit to that.
Q >> I’ve been trying to get a question answered ever since the Avs won the Cup. Is Avs development coach Peter Budaj an official Stanley Cup champion? His name is not on the Cup, but he got a ring. — Jacob, Aurora
BENNETT >> There are a lot of team employees who received rings but whose names didn’t get engraved on the Cup, from media relations to the analytics staff — and even some players.
Jayson Megna captained the Eagles and played 20 games at the NHL level throughout the championship season, and he was with the team at the end, but his name isn’t on the trophy that he held above his head in Tampa. Ben Meyers just recently received his ring; he played five games and scored one goal for the Avalanche last season. His name isn’t on the Cup.
There’s only room for so many names in the limited space (52 to be exact), but just because any given name isn’t on there, that doesn’t preclude the person from being an “official Stanley Cup champion.” It’s generally understood that it takes more than 52 people to win a championship.
Q >> March appears to be a busy month for the Avs. What does this team have to do the next month and a half before they start looking to the playoffs?
— Matt, Denver
BENNETT >> Get healthy, conserve top players’ ice time whenever possible and maybe even compete for home ice advantage.
The team had four days without a game this week. It’s the final catch-your-breath moment. Starting Friday at Winnipeg, the Avalanche play 27 games in 50 days.
Somehow, they arrived at this juncture with a chance to overtake Winnipeg and Dallas at the top of the division, after the conversation for most of the season has been about just treading water in the playoff race.
The Stars blew a 3-0 lead to Chicago on Wednesday, and the 4-3 loss culminated in a disallowed Tyler Seguin buzzerbeater that would have tied the game if the puck hadn’t crossed a few milliseconds too late. With that loss, Dallas is 2-3-5 in its last 10 (.450). The Jets are 3-7-0 in their last 10 (.300). Colorado is 11-2-2 in its last 15 (.800).
So the Avs enter this gauntlet five points out of first place in the division with three games in hand. Bednar said he only looks at the standings once a week, but he knows enough to say this: “We’re in a spot here now where we’re not only fighting for our lives, but we’re fighting for No. 1 in the conference.”