Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog began his postgame news conference Thursday without taking a question.
He made a statement.
“In 11 years I’ve never sat and talked about referees in a press conference — ever,” Landeskog said.
And then the reality of the situation became obvious at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The Avs were assessed three consecutive penalties in the third period of what felt like a playoff game between the top two teams in contention to win the President’s Trophy with the NHL’s best record — which ensures home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
It was a big game.