Landeskog done for season, Avs defeat Jets 4-2

The reigning Stanley Cup Champions will continue their season-long uphill battle in their quest to claim another championship.

The Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss the entire season due to a lingering knee injury.

Landeskog netted 11 goals and added 11 assists in his 20 playoff games, including an assist in the Game 6 clincher.

The captain had been skating in preparation for a return from his offseason surgery, but Landeskog chose to shut himself down with just one regular season game remaining on the schedule.

The Avalanche have dealt with injuries all season, but the last few weeks have beeb relatively difficult. Last year's Conn Smythe and James Norris Trophy recipient Cale Makar have been hit with injuries in recent weeks: superstar Cale Makar has missed the last five games with a lower-body injury, and his return is day-to-day. However, Darren Helm, who has been hurt for a majority of the season, like Landeskog, could be out the rest of the year.

Star Josh Manson also has no timetable for a return, having been out since March with a lower-body injury.

The Avalanche's 107 points are second in the Central Division, one point behind the Dallas Stars. Colorado must win their final regular season game against the Nashville Predators to have a chance at winning their second consecutive Central Division title.

Last night, the Avalanche picked up a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets to keep those hopes alive. Evan Rodrigues scored the go-ahead goal on a wrist shot early in the third period. Denis Malgin and Mikko Rantanen also scored, with Artturi Lehkonen adding a late empty-net score. It was Rantanen’s 55th goal of the season, which is the most by an Avalanche player since the team moved from Quebec to Denver before the 1995-96 season.