Postgame quotes: Dustin Penner

Dustin Penner took a seat on the opposite bench from the Los Angeles Kings for the first time since signing with the Anaheim Ducks in mid-July. Though it was an exhibition game – and there will certainly be some interesting theatre when he meets his former teammates in the regular season – there were still some reflective moments for the player who won Stanley Cups with both Southern California teams.

In his 16 minutes and 37 seconds of ice time, Penner recorded a minus-2 rating, twook two shots on goal, issued two hits, and blocked one shot. He skated primarily alongside Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.

On Tuesday’s game:
They played very well and we played very poorly. There’s things that we could have done a lot differently. Obviously competing on the puck, making it a lot harder on their top guys to get grade-A scoring chances, and making it easier for our goalies to make key saves.

On how quickly he has “assimilated” to the Ducks locker room:
It’s been a good transition. Obviously I know quite a few people still in this organization, whether it’s team personnel or players. Definitely there’s a nostalgic feeling coming back.

On whether it was “weird” playing against his former teammates:
Yeah, it was. [Reporter: What was the most weird thing?] You get used to seeing the same people every day. It’s kind of like a divorce. I liken in to that, though. You spend a lot of time with the same people every day, getting to know them. You become like family. And then all of a sudden you’re gone, and the routines and habits that you formed on that side with those guys, it’s something you’ll probably never experience again.

On the first shift of the game, and his first hit against a King:
Who was it that I hit? Dewey? I don’t know. Someone. I don’t know the exact word to describe it, but it’s kind of a déjà vu feeling. Like, you go hit a guy, and you see it’s Doughty. It’s not in practice. It’s a unique feeling. I guess you catch yourself reminiscing a bit.