[Otto-matic]

“Regardless of what you hear or what you say, I’ve been through this before,” Neal said. “I was a big trade to Pittsburgh (in 2011) … You know, go to the Penguins to be a goal-scoring winger, and I didn’t score for 22 games. I was in the biggest drought of my career, probably.

“I was a guy who is going there to a hockey market to play with the big guys and score goals, and I didn’t score a goal for 22 games.”

The details aren’t quite as grisly as he remembers.

“Right now, it’s just in the moment,” Neal said. “I’m trying to get my game going. I’m trying to feel comfortable. I’m trying to do all those things to just be better.

“So I haven’t kind of looked back or taken it all in just yet. I think that’s more for off-season when you’re hanging out. But anytime the national anthem is going on or when I’m skating around in morning skate or in warm-ups, I try to take it all in. I look at the fans.

“I enjoy my job every single day. Couldn’t be any better.”

I have a feeling Neal is going to get going soon and will be a force in the stretch drive when they need him.

“And then I’ve played a lot of hockey, short summers, everything goes into it … And I’m not trying to make excuses or anything like that, but sometimes when you change teams again, you have to get used to everything again and it’s not easy. It’s obviously been a lot tougher than expected.

“But I’ll be fine. I’ll be better.”

https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey...cant-milestone