Page 60 of Hot Mic, Cold Ice

"Doing what?" I ask. At this point, he could be talking about a number of different things.

"Hockey…" he says as I hold my breath, waiting for him to continue. "It’s everything I've always wanted, to win the Stanley, but I don't know if I am cut out for it."

"You are cut out for this, I promise," I say. "The team had a rough game, but everyone will bounce back."

"But what if I can't! The fate of our season is on me. The boys can have an amazing game, but if I don't defend the net, it's all for nothing. I can't let them down like that." Elliot says as he gets to his feet and starts pacing.

I give him an incredulous look, "That's not fair, and you know it." Shaking my head, I go on, "You are just being dramatic. Sit your ass down and calm down."

Elliot stops and looks at me. At first, he looks pissed, but then he bursts out laughing. For the first time all night, he has a smile on his face.

"Fine." he sits back down and leans back. "But I will only calm down if you let me be the little spoon."

"Deal."

We lie together, and for the rest of the night, I talk him off his ledge. We open up about his fears and hopes for the rest of the series. I open up about how I'm excited to be back in New York. All of the pieces feel like they fit together perfectly. But we both know that there is a hurricane coming that will blow all of our perfect pieces away.

Elliot is still quiet when we wake up the next morning, but he slowly comes out of his shell as the team starts practicing. By the time Game Four comes around, he, along with the rest of the team, seems ready. The guys hit the rink, and they have adifferent story to tell than that of Game Three. The team bounces back with a vengeance, determined not to let the series slip away. Elliot is a wall in the net, making save after save, his focus razor-sharp. When the final buzzer sounds, they have secured the win and ensured they play another game. I can feel the relief and joy of the entire team. I watch as they celebrate on the ice, and pride for Elliot swells in my chest. I knew he could do it.

As we travel back to Arizona for Game Five, there is a renewed sense of purpose. There is a big sigh of relief from everyone on the team, beyond just the players. Since there is so much travel involved now, there is more time between each game that the team advances to. Everyone is ready to get back to Arizona and rest before the next game. My time before Game Five with Elliot is unlike anything else. We steal moments together, sharing quiet conversations and supportive glances. Everyone is working toward the common goal of winning and advancing the series.

The final buzzer sounds, marking the end of Game Five, and a heavy silence falls over the arena. The Red Wolves lost, and it is a bad loss, plain and simple. The team got too cocky, letting their early victories inflate their egos, and it came back to haunt them. The players skate off the ice with their heads down, the weight of the loss evident in their slumped shoulders. As I watch them, my heart aches for Elliot. He has given everything, and now, he looks utterly defeated. The usual postgame chatter is replaced with a quiet reflection. This loss is a harsh reminder that the road to victory is far from over.

As the plane touches down in New Jersey for Game Six, there is an aura exuding from each player of pure, unadulterated electricity. Coming straight off a tough loss, the team kicked it into overdrive in order to prepare for a win. Everyone ispushing themselves to the brink, and it’s going to pay off. The conversations around me are full of personal commitments to push harder, play smarter, and leave the ice with a win. I know everyone is on the brink of their limits, but something feels different, like their edge promises results. As a reporter, watching this shift is exhilarating. The resolve in their eyes tells me this game is going to be pivotal, and I am ready to capture every moment of it.

Game Six in New Jersey is an auditory assault; the Reapers fans unleash a deafening roar, rallying behind their home team with an intensity that vibrates through the arena. There is a strong sense of animosity, each cheer a clear message of disdain aimed at the Red Wolves. Yet, this hostile environment only fuels the Red Wolves. They harness the energy, converting every boo and jeer into a reason to push harder, to play with more heart and grit. When the clock hits 00:00 sealing the Red Wolves' victory, the arena's atmosphere shifts. You can hear a pin drop before the small contingent of Red Wolves fans that traveled for the game lose their minds in celebration. My eyes meet Elliot’s across the ice. His smile reaches me through the distance, a silent yet profound moment of connection that resonates deeper than the clamor around us.

The team packs up and takes a red eye back to Arizona for Game Seven immediately after the game. The team is already jacked up from their win. The idea is that they’ll be able to take a day to rest once we get to town before they start to prepare for the last game of the series. At this point, I'm just going where I’m told, following directions. All of this is new to me and luckily, I have Rachel as a lifeline to give me directions when I feel completely lost in a sea of people way more prepared than I am. This is my last time traveling with the team, and it is more bittersweet than I could have imagined.

Time is literally flying by, and I kinda wish I could make it slow down. We're a night away from Game Seven. Elliot is out with the team for the season’s last team dinner and meeting before heading back to their rooms to get a good night's sleep before the big game. I’m not sure how the night will go, but I have high hopes for one last pregame ritual. There is a lot riding on Elliot going into tomorrow. I keep to myself, finish up my prep for tomorrow's interviews, and decide to go get my nails done as a distraction.

As I'm heading back toward the hotel, my phone goes off.

:Where are you?????

:I was expecting you

to be in my bed when I got back.

Ziggy:Wow, the world

does not revolve around

you and your bed.

I had to get my nails done.

:Oh, well,

if that is the case.

I can't let the fate of

my performance in

Game 7 get in the way

of your new nails.

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