Josh Norris played his first National Hockey League game in 270 days on Wednesday night — and the Ottawa Senators forward didn't miss a beat, scoring two goals in his triumphant return.

“Obviously, it's been a long road and some long days and we're finally here now,” Norris said after the Sens crushed the Washington Capitals 6-1 at home, per Canadian Press. “So, I think it's kind of one of those moments. It's weird, like, I think God's pretty amazing and I don't want to get like too philosophical here, but yeah, it's just a great night and happy we won.”

Norris missed all of training camp and the first three games of the 2023-24 campaign, but made his presence felt early, scoring a powerplay tally just 12 minutes into the game. That would hold up to be the game winner.

He also scored again in the second period as Ottawa picked up its third straight win to tie the Detroit Red Wings for first place in the Atlantic Division.

“He did what he gets paid for and put it right in the back of the net,” linemate Drake Batherson said afterwards. “Super pumped for him and his family. For him to get back out there tonight, I know how excited he was. He was just happy to play, let alone get two.”

Batherson assisted on both of Norris' goals, with the line of those two and offseason acquisition Dominik Kubalik looking great all evening long.

“He went through a lot and, you know, a lot of bad days,” Sens coach DJ Smith admitted. “I know how emotional he was when he got hurt. To get to this point and get a couple goals here tonight, he just wanted to contribute. It was great.”

The 24-year-old has had a long road back to NHL hockey after playing just eight games in 2022-23. A nagging shoulder injury turned into surgery in January, costing him the rest of the year.

But the Michigan native looks to be back and ready to compete for a Senators team that has postseason aspirations in 2024. Josh Norris back in the mix is going to be a huge boost for this Ottawa squad, and they'll look to build on a fairytale start on Saturday night against the Red Wings.