End of Regulation - final book in the Love Misconduct series

Chapter Five

Gabe's POV

"Come on, boys! Let's go!" I shout from the bench, leaning over and pounding my fist on the boards, hoping to help the team build some momentum.

There's two minutes left in the game and we are losing to Dallas, 1-0. It's the last game of the season, and we need just one point to get into the playoffs. Since the new realignment of the league, we have built up quite the rivalry with the Dallas Stars. We were never one to like each other in the first place, but now that we are in the same division, games have been pretty heated. The lone Stars' goal was scored by Tyler Seguin just five minutes into the third period. Both goaltenders for our teams have played outstanding hockey tonight. That one goal we've allowed wasn't our goalies fault by any means. Our defense collapsed, and Seguin scored on the breakaway.

Suddenly the whistle blows and our coach calls a timeout. Everyone in a burgundy sweater huddles around the home bench, waiting for us to be ripped by our coach. He doesn't take losing lightly, and I know for a fact none of the guys do either. We hate losing more than anything. It makes us feel worthless. Like we're no good bums on skates. It's a horrible feeling.

"Listen up, boys. As much as I want to scream at you right now, I'm going to give you a motivational speech. Or at least try to." Coach Roy says. "Listen, you have come so far since I started coaching you a couple years back. I've seen you all grow from boys to men, and I know that deep down, the little boy inside of you is begging for you to play your very best, and the man in you doesn't want to let that little boy down.  Now, I want you to play this game like it's a game seven. Like you've waited you whole entire life for this one defining moment. Well, guess what, boys. This is your defining moment. Go out there and give it all you got!"

We stand there, looking at one another. We know what we have to do, so we all nod our heads and start to pat each other on the back. I've seen this look in my players' eyes before. It's the look of a champion who isn't going to go down without a fight.

I hop over the bench and I skate to the face off circle. Matt Duchene is out there taking the face off, while PA Parenteau is to his left and I am to his right. I take a deep breath and I exhale, watching the puck being dropped by the referee in slow motion. Suddenly, the sound of sticks fighting for the puck snaps everything back into reality, moving faster than I ever thought possible.

Go, Avs, go! Go, Avs, go! Go, Avs, go!

The crowd at Pepsi Center starts chanting, shaking the building as if it is about to collapse any second. Matt wins the face off and sends it back to Tyson Barrie, our defense man. We skate down to the Dallas zone, the clock quickly ticking away. Once the clock strikes sixty seconds, Semyon Varlamov skates off the ice as fast as he can for our extra attacker; who, in this case, is Nathan MacKinnon.

Tyson bangs it along the boards, bringing it back for PA Parenteau. PA skates backwards with the puck, soon passing it across the ice for Matt. He shoots the puck quickly, and the rebound bounces out towards an open Nathan MacKinnon. I look over at him, watching what he does. He closes his eyes and just whacks at it, bouncing it off the post. 45 seconds.

I skate over towards the puck and I turn to shoot it, hoping for the best. The puck bounces off the post again, but luckily Nathan was there to deflect it in. Before I know it, the red light goes off and the goal horn sounds.

I look over at Nathan and I see him pointing towards me, mouthing the words, "It's all you" to me. I shake my head and laugh, skating up to him and patting him on the head. The rest of the guys join us, celebrating in the far right corner of the Dallas zone, hearing the music and pounding of the glass behind us; along with some cheers from the boys.