Everybody always talks about his shot, but they certainly underestimate how well he read the game. He could make even the most skilled forwards look silly on occasion.

We've got a lot of young guys in the lineup and hopefully they can learn from this experience. I hope they have a sour taste in their mouth. I don't ever want to go through a year like this.

I got hurt after the fight and couldn't go back out there. It started to sink (in) for me. We put a lot of work in every day, and it's just frustrating to think that we're not going to be competing for a Stanley Cup ... that's why we play.

For the most part, we've played pretty well. We've been in most every game. Tonight, for some reason, the effort was not there and it showed.

He always made everybody feel part of the team and feel part of what's going on. That's huge and that's important, getting your role players to feel a big part of it.

He demanded a lot from all of us, but I think he put more pressure and demands on himself. That's what separates the good players from the great players -- and he certainly is a great player. He didn't really say much, but when he did, we all listened.