"The days at the beach, as tweeted by Capitals defenceman Mike Green from the Cayman Islands, are over.

The neon tans from Las Vegas will now start to fade.

The NHL's feel-good weekend here — a resounding success which revolved around the emotional outpouring between Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson and Senators fans — now becomes a fond memory.

Ahead is a 30-game sausage grinder that is the rest of the NHL season.

"You need the break whether you're here or somewhere else doing something different. This is a part of the season the guys really look forward to, just to recharge the battery," said Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul.

"When you get back from this break, you're re-energized and you can kind of see the finish line. You've got 30 games left and the games really start picking up in intensity and the games are more meaningful.""