EDMONTON, AB - In the eyes of defenceman Andrej Sekera, his return to the Oilers blueline after missing the previous 58 games of the season with an Achilles injury went better than expected despite the final scoreline reading 3-2 in favour of the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.
"I actually felt pretty good," Sekera, 32, said following Wednesday's practice. "It's good to be back on the ice with the boys and play games. The speed of the game was good, we played a pretty decent game, and it's too bad we didn't get the points we wanted."
The Slovakian defenceman logged 17:33 of ice time and was minus-one for the Blue and Orange following a five-game conditioning stint with the Bakersfield Condors that yielded two assists at plus-six.
"After the first period I got my legs out of the way and it was a good effort," he added. "The conditioning stint down [in Bakersfield] helped me a lot, so I know what kind of situation is expected of me. I felt pretty good and it'll only get better."
BLOG: Sekera continues to adjust after return from injury
The blueliner played 17:33 against the Arizona Coyotes and continues to adapt to the NHL's pace after missing the season's previous 58 games.
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