Page 77 of Replay

Today, I was nervous. Because this idea was mine.

When we tromped back to the locker room, the whole place was vibrating with tension. It hadn’t been like this since the last game last season. Fuck. What had I done?

Coach walked in. Most of us were on our feet, too antsy to sit. Mitchell sat with his head in his hands. He looked a little green. He didn’t usually puke before a game but I wouldn’t bet against it now.

“I can tell you this is just another game. One of eighty-two. What happens out there won’t matter.”

We looked at each other. No one was buying that.

“But the way you’re feeling now, the way I’m feeling, that’s not true. We’ve had a monkey on our backs since last June. Let’s do this and get it over with. A win would be good, but if we lose and you start fucking playing again, I can live with that.” He paused but we were all shocked silent at that speech.

He shook his head and left.

“We’re not waiting for this game to be over,” Cooper said. “We’re fucking playing NOW!”

That got cheers from everyone. Petey reached down to say something to Mitch. I hoped it was helpful—Petey’s idea of support was sometimes a little odd.

In any case, Mitch stood up, hit the floor three times with his stick, and followed us out.

The arena was tense. Quieter than usual. When the starters were introduced, there was a noticeable pause when Braydon Mitchell was announced, and a few boos. Someone started to chant Petrov, Petrov. To his credit, Petey chopped his hand in front of his throat, and the chant died away.

Coach hadn’t just started Mitchell; he’d moved Crash up to play with Cooper, and JJ down to the second D line. So, for the first face-off, we had the same six guys on the ice as when that goal went in and ended our playoff hopes.

I twisted my mouth guard back and forth. This could be the stupidest idea I’d ever had.

Then the puck dropped, and all I could focus on was hockey.

Minnesota didn’t score on the first play, but they did within the first five minutes. It wasn’t a breakaway and Mitchell didn’t drop too early, but there was a scramble around the net and the puck slipped through his five hole.

Fuck.

The look in Mitchell’s eyes? Killing me. I skated up to Deek, our first line center. “We’re getting that one back.”

“We are, huh?”

I waved toward our goal. “Mitch is all in his head. Let’s give him a chance.”

Deek tapped me with his stick. “I’ll get you the puck. You do your magic and get that goal.”

And I fucking did. Minnesota was feeling the pressure too, and they had relaxed after that first goal. I was one of the fastest skaters in the league, and tonight I was faster than anyone coming after me. Deek won the face-off, and I slipped around those fuckheads like they were standing still. I faked the goalie and slid the puck just inside the net after he’d gone down. And that red goal light? The best thing I’d seen in weeks.

My teammates crowded me and the arena was rocking. Yes. This was how we did it.

By unspoken agreement, it was on. This wasn’t just another game for us, or for Minnesota. Three penalties were called in the rest of that first period. I couldn’t move my skate without someone being right in my face, and Mitch got to stop fifteen shots before the first intermission. The score was still tied, 1-1.

As we took a much-needed break in the locker room, Cooper stood up.

“I’m proud of how you all played in that period. And maybe I should tell you it’s a long season and not to give everything to one game, but fuck. Our season’s been a shit show, and there’s a good chance we’re not in the playoffs this year. So let’s make this game count.” He tapped his stick on the floor. “This, right now, is our playoffs. Show them what we can really do.”

We all banged our sticks on the ground, even Mitch.

“And whoever scores the game winner gets a bonus from me.”

More banging. And cheering. Then, we went out and did it.

It wasn’t an easy game. Minnesota scored, and then we’d even it up. Lots of penalties, shoving. Crash even got in a fight, and I hadn’t seen that before. But when we’d tied things up 4-4 with only a couple of minutes to play in the final period, Cooper got a breakaway and fucking nailed it. He went down under a pile of crazed Blaze bodies.

I pulled him up since we still had forty seconds on the clock to hang on to our lead. “Didn’t want to pay anyone else?”

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