It had been 104 days since Bobby Ryan last played a game in Ottawa. Seven minutes and 44 seconds into his return on Thursday, fans were on their feet, and chanting his name.



Ryan tipped a Nikita Zaitsev point shot. It was his first goal since Oct. 2, and his first goal since entering NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in November.



By the time the night was over, Ryan would fight Chris Tanev in the dying seconds of the first period – forgetting to go to the penalty box at the start of the second – and score two more goals. He’d earn first star of the game and receive multiple standing ovations.



“I mean you can’t write that… the way (tonight) went,” Ryan told reporters postgame with a smile. “It’s just an incredible evening.”



There were so many ways the game could have played out. He could have looked a step slow playing on a line with Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris. He...