“(We) just dug in, kind of hanging on for a little bit,” said McDavid of the game that saw them outshot 36-33. “I’m sounding like a broken record when we win, but… we found a way to win a game.”

“Stuart was great,” said McDavid. “We were taking on water there for a little while, and he was making saves and giving us a chance.”

“That’s what we get paid to do. We get paid to be the difference, and tonight we were able to do that,” said McDavid.

“He said after the game he was just picking up right where he left off in the playoffs,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “He also told me… ‘I told you my legs are feeling great,’ so he played 20-plus minutes tonight, and that’s not an easy task for a guy who hasn’t played for several months.”

“It’s just great to see him, great to see him playing,” he said. “Significant injury and, you know, I got firsthand to see him work his way back, and it wasn’t always easy. It never is.

“Sometimes people forget the human side of it. It’s an emotional thing to go through a significant injury like that, to see him back and playing and healthy and moving really well, you know, it’s definitely uplifting for our group.

“He’s a great leader. Brings a lot of positivity to our room, which is needed. He’s a big part of our team on the ice, a big part of our team off the ice, leadership. You name it, he does it. So great to have him back.”