A lot of people in the East don't know those guys because they have been in the West their whole career. They bring a lot to the table and they're a big reason for our success so far.

If you want to go east, don't go west

He was just a steady guy. Never flashy, but he was a big part of their championship teams.

Growing up, I was always an offensive player. I was drafted in the first round in Buffalo. Just my role changed when I got to this level. Right now, it feels good to contribute offensively. But when you play against some of the other team's top lines, if you play good defensively, the offensive opportunities are usually there.

The coaches have done a great job of researching other teams and finding out what we have to do to either clog up the neutral zone. We have the guys who are doing it.

It was a great experience. Anyone would love to have the chance to say they played with Mario. It was pretty amazing.