Perhaps the only detail more emphatic than the goals in the Colorado Avalanche‘s 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars Saturday night, was the impact provided by their captain, Gabriel Landeskog.

Landeskog, who returned in Game 3 of this Western Conference first-round series after missing nearly three seasons while recovering from a knee injury, scored his first goal since June 20, 2022, in a multi-point performance that saw the Avalanche tie the series at 2-2 in Game 4 at Ball Arena. Game 5 is Monday in Dallas.

“It means a lot,” Landeskog told reporters after the win. “Obviously, I’ve envisioned scoring again for a long time. There obviously days when I didn’t know if I was ever going to score again. It obviously feels good. It’s a tight playoff series in a big game here at home. To get to do it here at home in front of our fans obviously means a means a lot. Super exciting. Hopefully more to come.”

A short-handed goal from Logan O’Connor midway through the first period followed by a late power-play goal from Nathan MacKinnon staked the Avalanche to a 2-0 lead entering the second period.

That set the stage for Landeskog, who was in the slot when Brock Nelson fed a pass that the 32-year-old winger launched for a one-timer that beat Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger for a 3-0 lead.

Landeskog, who was playing on the second line, was instantly mobbed by his teammates on the nice such as Samuel Girard, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews and Nelson, who joined the Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline.

As Landeskog returned to the bench, he was congratulated by the entire team which also included a hug from a smiling MacKinnon, who along with Landeskog, have been with the franchise for more than a decade.

“I was just proud of him again,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the game. “I was proud of him regardless of if he scores or not because I know what he’s gone through, and I know how difficult that was. I think that takes it to another level. You know he wants to come back and contribute like he did in the past and he’s off to a great start.”

Landeskog’s goal was the latest milestone in what’s been a lengthy recovery from a chronically injured right knee. He missed what amounted to 1,032 days since his last NHL game.

In that time, the Avalanche have remained in a championship window but have dramatically altered their roster. The Avs have nine players from that championship team who have remained with the franchise and have since reshuffled a roster that led to them re-acquiring defenseman Erik Johnson, one of Landeskog’s closest friends, in their bid for the fourth title in franchise history.

Even with all the changes, there were still questions about when they could see Landeskog return to the lineup. And if Landeskog did return, what he could look like?

His first professional game in three years came April 11 with the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate where he logged 15 minutes. Landeskog would then score a goal and get an assist in his second and final game.

And much like his AHL stint, all it took was two games for Landeskog to score and have another two-point performance.

While Landeskog’s goal became the most celebrated moment of the evening, what he did to help create the Avalanche’s fourth goal was an example of why he’s so crucial to their title aspirations.

Landeskog played a pass to Nelson who then found a Girard for a shot from the point that gave the Avs a 4-0 lead in the fourth. In the time Landeskog passed the puck, he anchored himself at the net front to gain position on 6-foot-7 Stars defensemen Lian Bichsel to screen goaltender Casey DeSmith, who replaced Oettinger for the third period.

Jockeying with Bichsel, who is six inches taller and 16 pounds heavier, allowed Landeskog to test both his strength and that right knee to gain leverage.

The result? Girard’s shot found space in traffic with Landeskog making it hard for DeSmith to see the puck.

“He’s a big boy,” Landeskog said with a smile. “He’s a big strong guy, a physical player and hard to play against. I was trying to get in front of their goal, and he was trying to get me out of there. It was a good battle.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Crawford grew up in the Bay Area as a San Francisco Giants fan. He wound up playing 13 seasons for the Giants, helping them win two World Series titles.

San Francisco paid tribute Saturday to a man who played more games at shortstop (1,617) than anyone else in franchise history and won four Gold Gloves and made three All-Star teams.

During Brandon Crawford Celebration Day at Oracle Park, Crawford’s family, friends and former teammates joining him on the field before a game against Texas. He gave a speech to the fans who supported him from 2011-23.

“I played in a few big games throughout my career — postseason games, All-Star Games, a couple of World Series — but I can honestly say I’ve never been more nervous than giving this speech right now,” Crawford said.

Moments after Crawford concluded his nearly eight-minute speech, he threw the ceremonial first pitch to Buster Posey, the longtime Giants catcher and current president of baseball operations.

Crawford spent his early life in Menlo Park before his family moved to the East Bay city of Pleasanton, where he attended Foothill High. He played three seasons at UCLA and the Giants selected him on the fourth round of the 2008 amateur draft.

“It’s such a great story, a guy that grew up here, grew up a Giants fan,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, Crawford’s skipper during the catcher’s first nine seasons with the Giants.

In his first major league game, Crawford hit a grand slam off Milwaukee’s Shaun Marcum in a 5-4 win May 27, 2011. Since the Giants began playing in San Francisco in 1958, Crawford ranks in among the team’s top 10 in hits (1,392, fifth), doubles (290, fifth) and triples (44, third).

“His baseball smarts were through the roof,” said Webb, a teammate for five seasons. “I tried to get as much as I could from him, and I think everyone else did as well.”

Crawford ended his career with St. Louis last season. He is spending this year with his wife Jalynne and their five children at their home in Arizona. Crawford said he could return to the game in the future.

“I may be stepping away from the field,” Crawford told the fans at the end of his speech, “but I’ll always be a Giant.”

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez has had an all-or-nothing type of season.

It’s safe to say that his performance Saturday night falls squarely into the “all” category.

Suárez became the 19th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four homers in a single game, accomplishing the feat in an 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves in 10 innings. The third baseman is the first player in the big leagues to do so since J.D. Martinez — also for the D-backs — in 2017.

“What can I say; obviously, it’s awesome,” Suárez said. “I never thought in my life that I would be able to hit four homers in a game.”

Suárez entered the contest batting .167 with six homers and 15 RBIs. After Saturday’s performance, he has 19 hits, including a league-best 10 homers.

The 33-year-old Suárez hit a solo shot in the second, a two-run homer in the fourth and two more solo homers in the sixth and the ninth to finish with five RBIs.

His fourth homer off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias tied the score at 7 as the home crowd of more than 43,000 at Chase Field roared. D-backs manager Torey Lovullo admitted he “couldn’t believe” Suárez had done it again.

“I thought there’s no way he goes deep. When does that happen?” Lovullo said. “It’s like a fairy tale. When it happened, I just was shaking my head. I couldn’t believe it. He turned around a pretty good pitch.

“It’s one of those magical nights. It’s hard to describe.”

The four baseballs traveled a combined 1,655 feet, with the longest being a 443-foot shot to center for his third homer. The first three homers came off Grant Holmes.

Suárez became the second third baseman with a four-home-run game, joining ex-Philadelphia Phillies great Mike Schmidt (April 17, 1976, at the Chicago Cubs). Suárez previously had two three-HR games — July 30, 2024, with the Diamondbacks, and Sept. 5, 2020, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

Overall, there have been more perfect games in MLB history (24) than four-home-run games.

The Braves rallied in the 10th to win after Matt Olson scored on a wild pitch. Arizona became the second team to lose a game in which a player hit four home runs, joining the Braves in 1986, who lost in Bob Horner‘s four-homer game.

“Mixed feelings right now because we didn’t win the game,” Suárez said. “But this is baseball; that’s why this game is so special. I just want to glorify God with this for the game today. It’s a gift, and I don’t take it for granted.”

The Venezuelan-born veteran has hit 286 homers over a 12-year career with the Detroit Tigers, Reds, Seattle Mariners and Diamondbacks.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.