After missing 20 months while dealing with his mental health, Kylington back in the lineup was a win regardless of the score

The play was a quintessential rush for Oliver Kylington.

Sensing an opportunity, the Calgary Flames defenseman headed up the ice, took a pass at the centre line that he had to tap forward to himself, and then he turned on the jets, gained a step on a defender and whistle a shot toward the net.

A goal? No — although that would have been a storybook moment — but an example how Kylington’s ability adds a dynamic the club has lacked, even though it was his first NHL game in 20 months.

Asked whether there was a point in which he felt in the groove, Kylington replied: “Pretty much after that moment,” he said. “I regretted I didn’t take the puck to the net and break to the second post. I feel I can still do what I’m doing. I’ll keep working at it, progress and hopefully pucks will go in and we’ll get wins.”

The Flames suffered a disheartening 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday that has their playoff hopes on life support, but there was a huge victory in seeing Kylington, donning his familiar No. 58, zipping around the rink.

Everybody in the Saddledome knew the importance of his return after missing more than a season-and-a-half because of his mental health struggles.

And everybody in the Sea of Red welcomed him back with open arms. The ovation when Kylington was announced as part of the starting lineup brought the decibel level up dramatically.

“It’s touching, for sure. It really is,” Kylington said. “I just want to give it back. I want to show my abilities on the ice, and I think that’s my way to give it back. I have to work hard and keep going here, show my best.

“This was nothing I could ever expect,” he added. “When you see people writing to you, people cheering for you, applauding you, it really touches you in a way I wasn’t expecting. It means a lot.”

The Flames coaching staff wisely made the decision to insert Kylington into the starting lineup.

“It was a big moment for him,” said bench boss Ryan Huska, who called Kylington one the bright spots in the affair. “We’re proud of him for what he’s gone through, it was a tough stretch, and I think a lot of people recognized the challenges he would have faced and it was nice to see.”

“Goosebumps before the game,” captain Mikael Backlund said. “People standing up, cheering him. That was awesome. I thought he played well. It’s gonna take him some time to get back into it, but I thought he looked good tonight. I’m really, really happy to see him back.”

The Flames faithful, although crushed by their team’s fourth consecutive loss, was ready to cheer extra loud whenever Kylington was on the ice. When he rushed the puck a few times, the roar could be heard.

“I felt I could hear them all the time,” he said after logging 13:16 of ice time, registering one shot on goal and blocking a couple of Columbus attempts.

Just think how much excitement Kylington can generate when he has his timing and NHL rhythm in order.