Page 123 of Breaking the Ice
“Don’t do it,” Zach said. “Putting a good winger on that unit isn’t going to make any fucking difference, and it’s going to piss them all off.”
Gavin looked like he wanted to argue. He just picked at his sandwich, instead. “We need to do something. I knew it was a problem when the first line was scoring, but now that they’re not, it’s blatant there’s a gap in our game.”
“It’s just a slump,” Zach said. He’d been avoiding saying that word, but it was impossible not to call a spade a spade right now. Not when G was right, and it was staring them in the face. Continuing to deny it only made it harder to deal with.
“I know, but how do wefixit?” Gavin asked in a frustrated voice as he ran a hand through his hair.
“I don’t think you can, G,” Zach said gently. “They gotta sort themselves out. They’re taking the shots. They’ve got good puck movement, good angles. At some point one’s just gonna go in.”
“Hopefully more than one,” Gavin grumbled.
“Okay, more than one,” Zach promised.
“You really don’t think I should move Mal to the second power play?”
“If you want Elliott to freak out, sure,” Zach said. “And then Elliott’s not focused on scoring, he’s focused on how Malcolm’s not on the ice with him.”
Gavin’s lips pursed. “He’s very possibly going to have to get used to that, anyway.”
“He knows it, or at least he acknowledges it in the back of his mind. Does he think about it? I doubt it, and you know what? He shouldn’t be thinking about it. He should be focused onthis year.”
“I’m just saying,” Gavin said. “He can’t always be good only when Malcolm’s playing on his line.”
“That’s a conversation for whoever drafts him,” Zach said bluntly. He wasn’t trying to be cold about it, but that was the truth. And if things shook out the way they were looking, it was very possible Elliott would end up back with Mal, and other than yearly trade rumors, they’d never have to worry about it.
Gavin sighed. “I still think we should try it. At least for the power play in the next game.”
“If you’re gonna do it, you’ve got to do it now, so we can spend the next few days working on the new configuration during practice,” Zach warned.
“Not a few days so Elliott can get his drama queen act out of the way?” The corner of Gavin’s mouth quirked up. “I suppose you think I should be the one to tell Mal.”
Zach nearly said,it’s your team and your idea, so yeah, I’m gonna let you take this one.
But the more he thought about it, the more he knew it should be him.
“Actually no. I’ll do it.”
Gavin looked shocked. “Really?”
“I’m in charge of special teams,” Zach said.
“But it’s—”
“Yeah, itisyour idea, and I fully expect you to concede it was a bad idea when it doesn’t help,” Zach said.
“You’re angry with me,” Gavin said, a crease forming between his dark brows.
“No. No. Not like . . .” Zach huffed. “Not like you think. Do I think you’re wrong? Yeah. But I want you to know I’d be saying this regardless of what’s going on between us. It’s not . . .it’s not personal. I’m not angry withyou, G. Obviously I’m frustrated too, with our lack of scoring depth. I want to fix it, too.”
“Okay.” Gavin nudged him with his foot. “As long as you’re not gonna punish me.” He flushed bright red then, and oh yeah, he could be into that.
Zachmight be into that.
“I mean, not likethat,” Zach teased. He heard how low and rough his voice sounded. “Definitely not the ‘banishing you from my bed’ kind of punishment, anyway.”
Gavin went even redder, all the way to his collar. If Zach pushed it aside, he thought that flush might go all the way down.
“As long as it’s not a doghouse kind of thing,” Gavin said.
