'Nice To Get Some Reps'

Two games, two nights, and a goal and three points.

From a ‘conditioning’ standpoint, Tyson Barrie felt right home with the Calgary Wranglers as he worked his away back to the top level.

“It was nice to play, play a lot, and get my conditioning up a little bit,” Barrie said following Tuesday’s morning skate. “There's nothing quite like getting in game shape, so it was nice to get some reps.

“The first period I was playing a lot and was trying to catch up a little bit. That second game, I felt good and felt like I was 'back.' It didn't take too long, thankfully.

“It's a great group of guys down there and it was a lot of fun, so I'm glad it worked out.”

Barrie hadn’t dressed for the Flames in more than two months, relegated to practice duty and plenty of extra work behind the scenes to keep himself sharp.

On Friday, he was loaned to the Wranglers on a conditioning assignment, which can last up to 14 consecutive days. But with the weekend injury to Kevin Bahl, it’s possible the Flames accelerated the veteran’s timeline, bringing him back up to the big club only four days later.

In that time, he dressed twice for the club’s AHL affiliate, playing big minutes and contributing on the powerplay.

Barrie is now back with the Flames and instead of occupying a spot in the press box, he’ll return to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 12.

“It's another experience,” Barrie laughed. “I've been around a long time and have had a lot of different journeys. I've tried to stay patient and positive, and you know what? Life's good. Just enjoy the extra family time and try to stay ready.

“Sure, there are definitely points in it that get frustrating, but it's all part of it.

“It's such a great group of guys in here, too. Coming in on a PTO, they've made me feel a part of it right away. Even though I haven’t played for a long time, that's never changed. There's a lot of character in here and I think that's probably why you're seeing the success we're having, and it's fun to get back in there and have an opportunity with these guys.”

And, like his cup of coffee with the Wranglers last week, there’s no dipping your toe in the water when one of the league’s best pays a visit.

“Anytime you get a chance to play against Ovi or Sid, or any of those big dogs, it's pretty cool,” Barrie said. “I've been able to play against Ovi a lot in my career – and he's burned me a few times, but hopefully not tonight.

“What he's doing is incredible and it's crazy to think that anybody was ever going to be able to catch Gretz and he's right there. What a career. Hat’s off to him to be able to keep going at this age and he's having one of his best years, ever. It's super impressive and I've obviously got a lot of respect for that guy.

“It’ll be a battle of the Great 8s tonight,” he added with a laugh.

“It's awesome,” Barrie said of the opportunity tonight vs. Alex Ovechkin and the league-leading Washington Capitals. “That was the goal, to go down there, play those games, get that timing back and hopefully be ready for a shot up here, whenever that came.

“Thankfully for me, it's coming sooner than later – so, I’ll try and carry a little momentum from that.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

While slotting back into an NHL lineup isn’t exactly like riding a bike, Barrie – a vet of 818 regular-season skates – is up for the challenge.

Sitting out this long can certainly be hard on a player, but Barrie has handled it like the pro he is.

From the moment he arrived as a walk-on in the fall, the 33-year-old has been a ray of sunshine, constantly building up his teammates and helping to set the right culture, even when he’s not playing.

As the ultimate team-first guy, there was no other way to approach it.