SAY WHAT: 'I STILL HAD GAS IN THE TANK'

ON GETTING BACK INTO GAME ACTION:

ON THE MENTAL GRIND OF A TOUGH SEASON:

"I think the whole year was challenging for anyone, whether you're playing hockey or you're not. It was such a unique year that you could find challenges everywhere, everywhere in your life. Obviously, for me not playing games... I thought I still had gas in the tank to still play in the NHL, but sometimes you don't think you're going to do so. That's a challenge. Sometimes you bring that home and it's hard on you, hard on your family. ... But I stuck through that challenge and I'm happy I got to play tonight."

ON STAYING READY:

"Kept my head down, kept working. In a season like we had with the taxi squad and all that, we didn't really have much time off. We found a routine as a group with the taxi squad, tried to have fun with what we had. At that point, you're just trying to get the best out of every practice with what you've got. It would be a mistake to let your emotions, your frustration (get the better of you) and start to get impatient with the situation. If you do that, you're guaranteed not to have success if you do get a chance."

ON THE TAXI SQUAD:

"I certainly thought that when I signed, I would be playing more. Nobody saw the taxi squad coming. I don't think management did, either. We kind of got surprised by that. To be honest, I don't think the taxi squad is very good for any player around the league. I don't think that was a good solution for anyone. It was pretty unfortunate because you saw a lot of guys that didn't get a lot of playing time that could have played in the minors or whatnot. Pretty disappointed with the taxi squad situation all year, but it is what it is. You've got to battle through."

DID THAT MAKE TODAY EVEN MORE SPECIAL?

"Definitely. Whether you like it or not, it's in the back of my mind it might be my last game. I don't know what next year is going to look like for me. I'm just glad I got to play. As the game went on, I definitely felt more comfortable, felt more like I belonged. It's been a few months since I've been in the NHL, so first period, second period, you still have to get your rhythm back and I felt comfortable at the end. To be quite honest, the way the season went playing only one game, I saw progression in my game."