Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog makes his long-awaited return to lineup

Surprisingly, Landeskog didn't shy away from contact. Shortly after the puck dropped, he hit Stars right winger Mikko Rantanen, his former teammate. Rantanen may forgive him for that collision.

"It's great," Rantanen said of Landeskog's return, via NHL.com's Nick Costonika. "As a friend, I'm very happy for him. I was happy to see him play a couple games in the AHL. Well deserved, because the journey he's been through, I don't think anybody else, at least in hockey, has gone through what he's gone through. It's remarkable he's coming back." 

After all his setbacks, it would be understandable if he wanted to retire. His legacy already seems set. In 11 seasons with the Avalanche, he has won a Stanley Cup and been selected to one All-Star Game. 

After all his hard work, though, how could he quit?

"I found myself thinking about this moment a lot over the past three years, and now that it's here, it's reversed," Landeskog told Altitude Sports' Kyle Keefe before the game. "I'm thinking about a lot of the hard work that's gone into it. Some of the ups, a lot of the downs, the sacrifices and the support I've had along the way. Thankful for everybody and all their support."

Landeskog played 13:16 in the Avalanche's 2-1 loss to the Stars. Dallas now leads the series 2-1. Game 4 is on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET in Colorado.