Determination

2 DAYS LATER
March's POV

"Okay, so is the play clear? We have all that. Geno you know where you'll be this time?" I'm not sure where Sidney is, but James is doing an amazing job directing the play.

I put out ny gloved hand and pointed to where the goal would be. "Okay so Kuni's over here, and then he can pass to Geno, and then the puck should get stuck in between some Caps if all goes as planned, and I'll poke it loose and try and get the biscuit in the basket?" I clarified with James.

He nodded, "Yeah. And we have the lines straight now too, right? No more changes?"

As if on cue, Sidney broke his way into the locker room and sat down on the bench, slapping some papers to his side. He looked really stressed out.

"More changes?" James asked, with a sly smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

Sidney nodded and exclaimed in exasperation, "Yes! I'll read the lines, you guys just pay careful attention because I WILL NOT repeat myself one more fucking time!" I've never seen him like this. At least it's a home game.

James made a face and said, "Okay captain, let's hear it."

Sidney read off, "First line, me, Duper and March. The second line is James, Geno and Jordan Staal. The third line is Beau Bennett, Chis Kunitz and Tyler Kennedy. The fourth line is Brandon Sutter, Matt Cooke and Tanner Glass. The defense is as followed, Kris Letang and Simon Despres. Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin. Matt Niskanen and Deryk Engelland. And the scratches of the night are those that weren't called. Any questions?" He basically spat.

James raised his gloved hand hesitantly. "Yeah, uh... I had a good play designed can I get approval from your highness."

Sidney rolled his eyes, "Yes peasant, what do you have to show for yourself before I execute you to a healthy scratch?"

James cracked a smile and told him all about the seemingly fool proof play he had shown us on his gloved hand. It was the just like the unintentional but effective Henrique play from a few years back, and it worked, leading the New Jersey Devils to te Stanley Cup Final, only to be defeated in 6 games to Los Angeles. "Okay, I was up last night, you might have heard it, Flowers told me to turn the TV off and get my ass to sleep." We all turned to look at our startin goal tender who smiled and was going to say something, but James continued before he could. "Anyway, it's like the Henrique play from against the Rangers for te Eastern Conference Championship, and the Devils ticket to the Stanley Cup Final. If we could have you and Pascal sort of passing it around on the right side of the goal, then get it stuck between the Capital players skates, if all goes as planned they will all be clustered around the net. You or Pascal can poke it loose and Wilson can put it the puck in the back of the goal. Sound good?"

Sidney chuckled, "Yes, yes. There's only one major flaw. If Ovi can untangle the puck from his skates and get a breakaway."

"Hey, are you doubting my skill level?" Flower jokingly called out.

James said, "Nope, the defense will be patiently waiting in the back for that! No breakaways, no nothing except for scoring. On our side."

Sidney gave it a thought, "But wait, what if it doesn't go as planned and the players for Washington don't cluster the goal like you are assuming they will? They might decide to just wait for it in the back, the offense on the wings and the two defense man waiting at the doorstep?"

James said, "Oh they'll be there. And you ARE the captain and you WILL be on the ice for the shift, and you can just tell March and Pascal when you want to do it, you know when the Caps players are in ready position for our play, and then we can do it and get a goal off of it!"

James seems so excited, and in my mind I willed silently that Sid would agree to it, and if he doesn't, I'm going to instruct the second line to do it anyway.

Sidney finally said, "Fine, fine. What's the worst that can happen? But I call the shots." He said sternly.

That's the team work I like to see from those two. James was going to move back in after the game if we win, proving he really wants to move back in. And also that he will likely come back, and Sidney is open to it. I still don't see what Sid the Kid was saying about Flowers, he's still just a friend to me.

I wanted to pull James aside badly, and tell him I'm putting off dating until the offseason. I know all eyes are going to be on me for a long time, and just because I made it here diesn't mean I've proved myself. I need to KEEP proving mself time and time over again.

I'll wait until after we win though, hopefully it won' scare him back to Dupuis's dwelling.

Coach came in, he was late again. "So Crosby, do you have a good play for the end of the game that we can possibly score on?"

James heard Coach Dan, and without even a glance at James Sidney replied, "Yeah. I didn't come up with it, it was actually James. It's really good and will probably work." He raised his voice, "Hey Neal! Come and tell coach Dan about your play real quick!"

You could see James's face light up. I think he's glad that Sid's talking to him and being normal around him again. In fact, it looks to me as if things have returned to... Well, you can't exactly call us NORMAL, so things have returned to as normal as they will get with us.

James explained the play he had invented to Coach Dan, and Coach seemed genuinely excited about it, and you could tell he really thought it could work for us to get a goal at the end, unless we need a game clincher earlier in the game. Hopefully we'll have such a lead that it won't be necessary.

"Alright boys and girl, go get some warm ups. Marc Andre, you're starting tonight." Coach told us.

I skated out with Kris, who was better and not severely injured. I like Kris a lot. He's one of my best friend's here. He makes me feel less awkward in any given situation. And even though his nose looks pretty messed up, at least he's okay.

As we skated out, the arena was already packed full of people. I looked through the glass, and I saw two girls, each couldn't have been older than ten years old or so. They saw me an turned around, showing me their matching jerseys with the number 77 on the back, and the name WILSON in huge capital letters.

I smiled and yelled so they could hear me, "Nice jerseys girls! I like them!"

Jordan skated over as the girls freaked out a little bit. I told Jordan, "This organization really does have the best fans ever!"

He gave me that cute little grin of his, and he replied, "Believe me, I know! I can't imagine playong for any other team. The fans just aren't the same as they are here March."

I skated over to get my shots on Fleury before the practice time would run out. I attempted 6 shots, only 3 of which were able to make it through the defense and Marc Andre's body.

We had a few minutes to stretch and the only real conversation that went on was about how hard we are going to kick Ovechkin's ass, especially since his fiancee came all the way from Russia to see a win. So we will deal them a loss. How's that sound? Great to all of us!

The game was about to start, and my blood was pumping. I haven't been on the ice as much as I'd like to be, hell, I was on the ice more with Coach Harrison than I am here. Well, I needed some serious prep I guess to make it here with all the boys!

Coach Dan barked a few commands, and I was supposed to do my first opening face off of the game, with Duper, Sid the Kid, Kris and Simon Despres on the ice with me. On the opposing side of me, hockey stick in hand, we have Alex Ovechkin, the ugliset hockey player I can think of. And even watching him as a kid on the big TV in my parents' bedroom I knew he was ugly. And not to be rude or anything, but he's even uglier in person!

"Your fiancee's here, so win this face off and show her who's boss! The princess or the The Great One." One of the players for Washington said, I recognized him, Mike Green.

I gave Mike a glare before getting in position, and he said, "Hey, can't touch this!" With too much attitude in his voice. I always thought Mike Green was one of the awesome, nice hockey players. Wrong, he's a bitch with a hell of a lot of attitude.

I ignored him, and the ref skated over while lights flashed overhead. I heard the cheer, "LETS GO PENS! LETS GO PENS!" Erupt from the huge crowd gathering at Consol. It really makes my life to know that I actully made it here. How'd I DO it?

The ref dropped the puck at the cheering stopped as I wo the face off and passed the puck off to Sidney, Ovechkin already up in his face. Sidney made a bad pass that I think was supposed to be for Pascal, but he was way of mark and it was a giveaway to that Mike character.

My fury at him built up, we'll show him the difference between a Princess and The Great One. He's right, we will show him who's boss, won't we?

He headed up the ice towards Marc Andre Fleury, Kris and Simon right in front if him, preventing the puck from getting to Flower at all costs.

"Watch this!" One of the assholes on the Washington Capitals called out. I didn't recognize him. Must be a new kid I haven't been able to evaluate through all my years of watching NHL hockey on that TV in my parents' bedroom.

But getting closer, I recognized him as Matt Hendricks. The only thing I could tell you about him is when he ran into that Rangers player (Powe was it?) that one game. Other than that, nothing.

Mike Green, the defenseman with attitude on the Caps shoved Kris into the boards, and Kris crumpled to the ground. After some time he got up again, but right as the puck was passed to Ovechkin, and BOOM! Goal.

My shift was over, and I skated over to the bench and spat out all the swear words I could name in a short amount of time. I think some of the guys were taken aback by my language, I try (here, fuck it at home) to keep my profanity to a minimum.

Our whole first period was horrendous, I felt bad, it must reallybe a disappointment to the Penguins fans who came for a win, not a loss.

The score remains 1-0, but we're being outplayed and our shots on goal are few while theirs are plenty.

Coach sat us down in the locker room, and we all got to take a breather, and it you're me or James, fix our hair. "Stop playing like shit!" Dan hissed.

Pascal whispered to me, "You think we're playin' like shit on purpose?" I stifled a giggle and Coach Dan gave me a stare that pretty much screams, "Shut the hell up March!"

"We need a goal. I want a goal in the beginning of the period, and I'm sure all of you are familiar wit the play where we have two defenseman up top and we have the center man in well, the center! And then we have our winger on well, the WINGS! But I want to try something new. I want to keep the two D man up top like the normal play, but I want to put the center really high up, right near the defense. If all goes well, the opposing players will gravitate higher. We'll have the left wing on the left passing the puck around with the center, left wing and defense men. The way this works is hopefully, possibly, no one will be paying any attention to our right wing hanging out behind the net more towards the left side, there will be a crisp pass to the him or her and they will try a wrap around on the right side. Holtby should still be distracted by everything going on on the left side of the ice. I want to try it with the second line."

We all looked around and exchanged looks. Seemed easy, but I doubt there won't be a Caps player waiting in the wings for tge right man. But he IS the Coach, and he does a pretty good job calling shots.

20 seconds into the first period (the seond line started the period) the second line got in position for the play Coach Dan had designed in the locker room during the first intermission.

The play went ALMOST exactly as planned. It successfully confused all Caps players on the ice, and you couldn't hear Ovechkin's voice, so it sounded like everyone had been confused sucessfully.

But on the pass to the right wing, a third line Capital figured out what was going on. But Holtby was still confused and it was a matter of seconds before James took the puch and completed a sucessful wrap around, while the goalie was still baffled by the confusing play Coach Dan had made for us.

I banged my stick with the rest of the team against the boards while James celebrated with the rest of the second line, plus Paul Martin and Brooks Orpik.

James gave us all fists, and skated back out for the second half if his shift.

The rest of the second period was bloody murder, both literally and figuratively. Both us and the Caps are in desperate need for a win if we want to keep a two game winning streak, and get an even longer one going. Except I remember those Chicago Blackhawks about 2 or 3 seasons ago won like their first 17 games and then didn't even make the playoffs! It was even a shortened season due to Gary Bettman, I'm glad that asshole was FIRED a few weeks before this season started. Thank God this commissioner actually cares about the god damn sport he owns!

But in the real, non figurative bloody murder, blood was shed for both teams, and penalties were dealt for both teams. In fact, I had my first penalty box visit. My first penalty box visit was a four minute long stay, due to a trip to Brooks Laich. He landed on his face, and he BIT his lip as he fell and he bit it hard enough to draw blood. That might just be my defensive excuse kicking in though.

And in the third period, the game was on the line with 31 seconds left before we lost. 2-1, a goal scored by Nicklas Backstrom.

I jumped off the bench for my last shift of this game. The lines had been switched again in the second intermission. James had moved up to the first line, and to his dismay, Sid the Kid had dropped to the second, truth be told, he was playing like shit.

The final seconds of the whole game dwindled and I yelled to James as we approached the Caps zone. "James! Your play!"

James nodded and yelled to the rest of us. Unfortunately, the horn went off before we could make a move to put this game into 5 extra minutes of four on four.

James spat some curse words, and so did I. It's so hard to lose the second freaking game of the season to a shit team like Washington.
******************

We went home all a little upset, but all calmed down after talking about things other than hockey. We had team mates coming in and out of the house for food, then to go get others, and to come back for more food.

Pretty soon we had the six of us, Me, Sid, James, Kris, Marc Andre and Jordan, plus Evgeni, Tanner Glass, Pascal, and Matt Cooke. And of course Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin had tried to push their limits and came over requesting an apology drink. I slammed the door in their fces, leaving them snickering on the porch.

The doorbell rang as we all sat around the island in the kitchen.

James said, "You look to most decent March, you should get it."

I looked at the clock and said, "That's weird it's been like an hour since someone last left and or came back in." I looked right at Pascal when I said that and he just cracked a smile.

The door bell rang again and I yelled, "I'm coming! Unless you're Ovechkin, in which case you are not allowed in!"

The boys laughed at me and there was a strikingly familiar voice that said, "We're not Ovi!"

"We're?" Jordan inquired as I ran to get the door.

And when I threw the door open, I looked into the cold blue eyes of the woman who while bringing me up had encouraged me in everything I didn't give a shit about, but highly discouraged me when it came to my career path: hockey. I looked into the cold, clear blue eyes of my mother.