Derick Brassard is thrilled to be returning to the Eastern Conference finals — and nearly as happy to be done playing the Rangers.
Following Ottawa’s 4-2 series-clinching Game 6 win Tuesday night over his former team, Brassard had difficulty enjoying the moment as much as he usually would, seeing how miserable friends like Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes were during the handshake line, knowing their season had ended.
“I’m glad we won, but it sucks to see them sad and everything. It’s just not a good feeling,” Brassard said. “I just really didn’t like it at all. I’m just so glad it’s over. … I had a really hard time. It really wasn’t easy. I didn’t know what to expect from the beginning, but I’m glad it’s over.
“I have a lot of respect for the guys in the dressing room, the coaches, and the organization. … They fought really hard. I wish them the best.”
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One year ago, Brassard was still with the Rangers. After four strong postseason performances — earning the nickname “Big Game Brass” — he expected several more shots to win the Stanley Cup in New York. In July, the center was surprised to be shipped to Ottawa.
He returned to New York during the All-Star break to relax for a few days, and he received a video tribute from the Rangers in his return with the Senators on Nov. 27, but in this series, Madison Square Garden felt more foreign than he ever imagined.
As much as he tried to pretend it was like any other arena, the 29-year-old finally admitted how strange it was to try and beat the team that he’d led through several postseason runs.
“I loved playing in this building, but I didn’t feel comfortable playing here now,” Brassard said. “It was just so weird to come in from a different entrance.”
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Returning to the conference finals for the third time in the past five years — and the first time without the Rangers — Brassard was fairly quiet in the second-round series, and recorded only one point, but his lone goal helped swing the series. In Game 5 of the tied series, he sparked a comeback win with a game-tying goal with 1:26 left in the third period.
On Tuesday, Brassard hit Zuccarello with a stick to the face in the first period, earning a double-minor penalty. He worried the penalty would cost his team, and was bothered by hitting his friend.
Hockey was more complicated than it had ever been. Winning was less enjoyable than it should have been.
“We have to move on,” Brassard said. “We have to move on with our lives.”