Page 74 of Crush
Whatever the cause, the Brawlers came out flat in Game 2. We failed to score a single goal. When the final horn sounded, we left the ice staring at our skates. We were too embarrassed to look up and see 7-0 on the scoreboard. Too ashamed to acknowledge Tampa's ecstatic fans, who taunted at us as we left the ice, yelling,“Sweep! Sweep!”
Tampa's fans had every reason to believe that they wouldn't lose a single game and sweep this series, after all. And we sure looked like a team that knew it'd never climb out of the hole it just dug itself.
“Pitiful,” Coach said as he entered the dressing room. “Dumb. Lousy effort. Every last one of you. What's our excuse tonight, boys? We're down 2-0 in the series now. Lose two more and we're out. Better wake up before it's too late.”
Coach headed for the door but stopped in front of me. “Is this really how you want your career to end, Ellis? This how you planned to go out? Not on top, but with a pathetic whimper?”
“No,” I answered, but even I could tell that there was no strength, no meaning, nospiritin my voice.
“Then you better find your balls—wherever the hell you put 'em—and lead your team again, Ellis. They need you to be better.”
Coach stormed out of the room. “See you boys on the flight back to Boston. Don't be late.”
Find your balls.
I wasn't sure what Coach had meant by that at first, but the more I thought about it during the bus ride to the airport, the more I knew it was true, whatever it meant.
In the airport, while we waited to board our plane, I started thinking about what to do—and I started to have a glimmer of hope. And the more I thought about that glimmer of hope, the more certain it seemed, and the wider I started smiling.
I boarded the plane smiling from ear to ear, while my sullen teammates stared at me like I had a second head sprouting from my shoulder.
“The hell are you so happy about, Boomer?” Brooksy grumbled. “Can't you look like your dog just died, like everyone else?”
“Boomer's thinking about the nanny again,” Ilya joked, but without much gusto, and without the usual laugh track backing him up.
“Ilya's right,” I said.
I waited for the outraged hoots and hollers, but still they didn't come.
“Ah, cheer up, you miserable bastards,” I said, addressing the team at the front of the plane. “So we dropped the first two games. Yeah, we fucked up, we already know that. Time to stop beating ourselves up over it. The truth is, now we got 'em right where we want 'em.”
“Leading us 2-0 in the series is right where we want them?” Brooks asked cynically.
“They think it's already over, so their guard is going to be down, boys. All we have to do is surprise them, and we'll have them on their heels. And we know we can play better hockey than we have these past two games. Listen, I've got a plan, alright? We're going to win our two games at home, Brynn's going to stay, and everything's going to be fine.”
Over the idle hum of the jet's engines, I heard my teammates confused murmurings.
“Anyone know what he's talking about?”
Chapter 28
Brynn
Hours after the Brawlers were massacred in Game 2, I got a message from Shea.
“Plane just landed in Boston. On my way home now. What are you up to?”
“Watching a movie in the den with Chloe.”
“Have you told her that you're leaving yet?”
“No.”
“Perfect. See you two soon.”
I stared at that last message and wondered, was he plotting something?
“Who are you texting?” Chloe asked.
