I've never had anything like media day before, so walking out here was kind of cool. I've never been a part of this, and someone asked for me to be here, put my name up, and everyone comes up and asks me questions. You kind of see everyone else going around with cameras and getting questions. It's pretty cool.
My emotions have been going since the game on Saturday. Sharing that experience with my teammates, standing with the Prince of Wales Trophy, taking that picture, hugging the guys, it's such a huge accomplishment. Obviously, we're not done, and we don't hang our hats on that, but I think it's important to enjoy moments, and that was a moment that we enjoyed as a team.
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I think everyone knows what's next and what we have to do, but I think the next day is really when it sunk in. I was sitting there with my fiancee, my dad and my mom, and they're just super happy and we're just kind of talking and that's when it kind of set in for me.
As for tonight, obviously, I'll think about the game, but you try not to think about it too much. I think when I start thinking about things too much I can't sleep, just weighing over my head. So, I think the biggest thing, we'll just probably hang out with the guys. We're going to go for a team dinner, come back, maybe go to the lounge and talk with some guys, get some waters, and then try to turn the brain off and get some sleep. I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
As for the game itself, I've done a lot of visualization about my role and my play and how I can be my best self. Whether it's taking pucks to the net, being hard low, being good defensively, and just kind of visualizing myself in the arena and that setting. So, when it comes tomorrow I'm not overthinking, I'm just playing. It's something that I've thought about, I've been through it in my head, so when it's time for me to take the ice and make those plays -- whether that's a blocked shot, goal, whatever it may be -- it's nothing new, it's something that I've thought out and I've been through in my head.
Obviously, you've got to play spontaneous, you can't think about everything that's going to happen, but you just put yourself in those scenarios and just kind of play off instincts.
