The Road to the Cup ~ Wattys 2015

Trying Not to Think About It

I woke up the next morning and began to get ready. As long as I kept busy, I wouldn't be able to worry about tonight's game. I grabbed my, well, Sidney's Penguins hoodie and a pair of jeans, threw my hair up into a ponytail, and went to the lobby for continental breakfast. I ate quickly and grabbed my skates; I was going to walk to the arena and get on the ice before the guys got there. Hopefully, the Islanders would be skating later.

I jogged out the door just as the guys started coming downstairs. A few people gave me weird looks because I held a clipboard and had a pair of ice skates hanging over my shoulder, but I ignored them. I found the Barclays Center a few minutes later and I walked in through the players' entrance. After cutting through the locker room, I stepped into our bench. No one was on the ice. I had forty-five minutes until our time officially started, but I didn't think anyone would stop me. As soon as my skates hit the ice, I relaxed. Everything would be okay, we would be able to face this challenge like we had faced every other challenge. It was another step towards our goal. Granted, it was on a much larger scale with higher stakes and all eyes on us, but we could do it. I needed to stop thinking like that. I stood on the blue line, took a deep breath, and charged forward. Blue line to blue line and back. Repeat. I skates suicides and remembered why they were named that. I pushed myself to move faster each time and it worked; I was no longer thinking about the pressure of the game, I was focused on the ice under my feet and the sweat on my forehead.

"Oh, Coach, get it!" Beau yelled.

"Skate, girl, skate!" Marc cried as a crowd started forming.

"Two more!" Letang joked, quoting what I usually told them when they were skating suicides.

I rolled my eyes and kept going, I had a few more than two that I wanted to do. Sid was the first to get on the ice. He waited for me at the blue line and set off when I did. Tanger followed right behind him. All of the guys lined up to join me, even the goalies. I stopped them after a few, not wanting them to be dead on the ice for the game.

We leaned on the boards together, panting. Johnston walked out to see all of us there. "What happened? Why are you all breathing heavily and already taking a break?" He demanded.

"Suicides," I told him, climbing over the boards and into the bench. I turned to the boys, "Go stretch, I don't want anymore injuries."

"You were skating suicides with them?" Johnston was shocked.

"I was here first. They found me doing suicides and then they joined me. It helped clear my head," I explained.

"That's good," Johnston nodded, still surprised. I wiped off my skates in preparation of getting back out there for the practice. Today would be a quick one, but it was still important.

The morning went quickly, as I had predicted, and I didn't have time to think about the pressure of the game because I was trying to treat it like any other. I was waiting outside of the locker room for Sidney and he met me out there minutes after we had dismissed them. "Damn, were you wearing that outfit under your gear?" I joked.

"No, why?" He asked, scrunching his eyebrows together.

"You were quick to get out of there," I laughed.

"Oh, I was hoping to catch you before you ran off again," he said as we started walking.

"Oh, like this morning? I just needed to clear my head. I needed the ice to myself." Sidney looked hurt. "I wasn't trying to be rude, I promise, I just... It's... It's a lot of pressure, Sid." I said, unable to find any other words to describe how I felt.

"I can help you," he murmured, slipping his hand into mine.

"I know," I leaned my head against his shoulder, "I was just trying to solve it myself."