It really gave us a boost. I've gotta give our sixth man a big round of applause, because the fans have been there and the students have been there all year supporting us. When the momentum swung, they really helped carry us through.

The NHL has been polling our fans, who have consistently told us that when we come back it should be in a big, bold way. To do that, the NHL, together with its players, recruited an exceptional creative team.

What good are fans? You can't eat applause for breakfast. You can't sleep with it.

A vain man can never be utterly ruthless: he wants to win applause and therefore he accommodates himself to others

The fact that he made the players around him better. He was very unselfish, passed the ball and raised the level of play of his teammates. He just made things easier offensively. Defenses keyed on him and he created stuff for other people.

We've been real pleased. They've been able to respond to some different adversities. We had a tough schedule this year, we've played well in some tough games, we've come ready to play. I can't say enough about the effort the kids have put forth all year long.