Bates made a great play to me and it was easy to put it in. |
But after I got off the phone (with Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier) I was excited because they basically gave me up for nothing and I went, all of a sudden, on the free market. So that made it exciting. |
Every game from here on out is a Game 7. |
Except for one breakdown, we played real well. |
He might have expected me to do the same thing. I think that's what helped me out. |
I feel responsible for this game, ... To get an opportunity like that, with a penalty shot, you should put it in. |
I had a number of things in mind, depending on how he reacted. He covers the net really well. I was able to find a space. |
I just watched the goalie to see what he was going to do. I was just trying to focus on him. He stayed in, so I shot. |
I knew that I would feel bad at 7 p.m. if I wasn't here. You know the situation we're in, trying to close the gap on making the playoffs. I just wanted to be here. |
I think we've all seen that we've scored a lot of goals lately, and that hasn't been the case for a long time here. I think many players have confidence to make plays and shoot the puck and other players feed off that. And that raises the confidence in the dressing room. |
I'm an Islander now. I don't really care about what's going on over there. |
I'm definitely looking forward to a new working relationship. |
I'm glad that it's behind me. I'm looking forward to the new situation. |
I'm kind of curious what kind of emotions I'll have, ... I couldn't have asked maybe for a better matchup for my first game. I think it's exciting. |
I'm not that big a fan of it, ... I don't think the players like the pressure of a shootout, but it makes the game exciting for the fans. |