Chasing Stanley

CS 20 Strategy.

‘Wanna come out?’ I can’t see Alpha’s face through the mesh. She has unzipped the door to my travel crate. I poke my nose out and give a sniff around. It’s our plane. It smells like our plane. ‘You can come out but be quiet most everyone is sleeping. No playing, Hairy.’

I give her a wag from underneath the table to show her that I understand. The back of our plane has a table and four chairs. I see the legs of the three other coaches. They’ll be talking hockey. I decide to check out the plane and make sure everyone got on. I start here in the back. The lights are pretty much off but I don’t need to see I just put my nose to work.

People are stretched out in most of the seats sleeping. Jen, Michele and Sam are with the camera crew. The EQ guys are across the aisle. They worked very hard tonight. I know because when the team is playing we are hard at work getting organized for their breaks. I’ve been following them around making sure everything is ready to go. Tonight’s game was very long with lots of banged up guys that needed attention. Sometimes they just need a hug to feel better. It’s a little thing but some thing I can do. Most of the players are sleeping, like Alpha said. I check out the pairs of them on either side of the plane giving each one a sniff as I go. Addsy and Vitale. Then Smacker and Juicy. Nisky and Marty. Sunshine and the new guy. Biz and Tk. Crankshaft and Iggie. Geno and Nealer. Dup and Kuni. Cookie and Mo. Bortuzzo and Engellend. Tanger and Glass. Sutsy and Cappy. I give Cappy a little kiss on his hand. But he doesn’t notice me, as he is sound asleep. I turn around to go back to Alpha when I notice that Crankshaft is actually awake.

‘Halla dar.’ I have no idea what the man is saying but he sounds friendly despite his huge size so I sit in front of him and wag my tail. And his face softens. ‘Du kontroll for alla?’

I smile at him and put my front paws on his huge leg. He rubs my ears. His huge hand is gentle as he finds the pressure points. It feels good after a long day playing with all the team, keeping track of the EQ men and generally working hard at boosting the moral around the room.

‘Du är en bra tjej, Hairy.’ I swear the man has marbles in his mouth and I have no idea what he is saying. I lean against him for a few moments. I like to make people happy. I give him a wag of my tail. I don’t know why the guys call him Cranky because I think he’s a good guy. I hear a soft whistle from Alpha. I cock my head and sure enough I hear it again.

‘Is that for you? Off you go then.’ The big man smiles at me. ‘We’ll work on your Swedish another time.’

Was that what that was…. Swedish. Ja could have fooled me. I trot down the aisle back to Alpha nosing my way through the legs under the table to reach her side.

‘You being good?’ she asks me.

‘Yip.’ I answer.

‘Good girl. How about you stay here now.’ Alpha taps the top of my carrier. She wants me to go in. I poke my nose in and rearrange my blankie and Cappy’s T-shirt so I can get comfy. I can hear the conversation above me.

‘So how do we play through this situation? Anyone?’ We have a situation? It’s a man’s voice talking. Alpha and I are sitting with three men but I don’t know which one it is.

‘It’s more what are our choices… Flower is at home. Vokoun and Hartzell are here. We can play Vokoun and have Hartzell as back up. Or play Hartzell and have Vokoun as backup. That’s it. Them’s our choices.’

‘I think it should be a game day decision. Tylyn?’

‘I really don’t know. The Habs were a tough win tonight. It was a scramble in front of the net and a lucky bounce that won tonight.’ I hear the exhaustion in her voice. ‘We need someone sharp in the cage or we don’t win.’

The conversation bounces around between the men and Alpha. I’m still stuck on we have a situation. It must be why Flower is not with us. I know he is supposed to be getting a baby. I think this a bad idea. I mean really folks; puppy has three p’s in it for a reason. They pee, they poo and they ‘re pukey. And then there is the chewing. I’m glad that I’m an only dog. Puppies are a lot of work and mess. Poor Flower, is getting a puppy. I gum at ‘Burgh and toss him around while I listen.

‘So it’s decided we’ll make it a game time decision. Let’s see how this plays out.’ The deepest voice seems to be running the talk above me. ‘Are we doing a practice in the morning or video review.’

‘I think everyone is tired here so maybe just the video.’ Alpha says. Hmmm, that sounds good to me. I think we all could use a day lying around the house watching the TV.

******

‘Are you coming in, Hairy?’ I tease. 87 and I are soaking in the tub this morning. Hairy has poked her nose around the door edge.

‘Ooowo’ she sounds put out.
‘It’s okay you don’t have to get wet.’ I try again.

‘OOOOWWOO’ 87 and I both laugh at Hairy’s adamant refusal to come in to the bathroom. We’ve been soaking out some of 87’s sore spots this morning from last night’s double overtime game. I thought that the last series against the Flyers was a battle but last night’s game was brutal. I’ve been busy massaging down 87s back and shoulders. Next will be his legs. It will be a big project but I’m up to it.

‘What the game plan for tomorrow’s game?’ 87 voice is muffled as he is sitting in front of me in the deep warm water with his head down.

‘I don’t know. I want to say to win but I’m not sure that winning should be our only goal.’ 87 has a knot that starts in his lower back and works its way up. He gets it from firing the puck.

‘What do you mean? Isn’t winning the cup goal? So a win would mean we’d take the series and then have basically a week to rest up.’

‘Yeah, maybe but the momentum would be lost and with the guys having some serious bumps and bruises we’d run the risk of maybe more serious injuries. Look Geno’s shoulder is not great. He’s playing but he just doesn’t have the power back. I know that your jaw still hurts. So if we get the win but what would the cost be?’ I knead at the knot.

‘So what are you saying…. Deliberately lose the game?’ He looks over his shoulder at me.

‘NO! No! Not lose the game but play the game with caution in mind. When we took on the Flyers in Game 4. We played all of our grinders. We ground down the bitches. Flower and Vokoun were on. We just had to get a lead and protect it. The situation now is Flower home waiting on Baby Estelle to be born. Vokoun is playing well but sounds like he’s coming down with a cold. Hartzell well is competent for the minors or maybe a regular season game but we both know he’s not ready for a game this big. The guys are hurting. Seriously hurting.’ I pause for a moment and hug him around his neck. ‘I don’t want to see anyone getting a preventable injury. We are going to need everyone on this team to win the cup.’

‘So what do we do?’

‘I think last night game showed that we are pretty evenly matched with the Habs. The winning goal was a lucky bounce and the momentum that the fans bring to the game. I think we need to play this game smart.’ I’ve started nibbling around his neck.

‘Smart as in playing it safe? Or matching lines.’ 87 is sounding a grumpy. ‘I don’t think playing it safe is the best way. That would be like not giving it our all. That’s not fair to the fans.’
‘Playing it smart to me means grinding down the Habs on their turf so when they come to ours they are exhausted, sore, and without their 7th man on the ice. That’s where we will take them. I mean wear them down now so that they have nothing left in the tank when they come to Game 6.’ I say firmly.

‘And how do you propose to do that, Coach Chickadee? These are pretty fit guys and there is 2 ½ days between games for both teams to rest. How would you grind them down?’ 87 still sounds tired even though we’ve slept for about 7 hours.

‘They are gunning for a win. Let’s face it they need this win. I think we make them work hard for it. Very Hard.’ I say emphatically. ‘If they want a goal then they have to be willing to pay the price.’

‘Yeah but without us sacrificing someone, right?’

‘Right.’ I confirm. Now we just have to find away to make this happen. ‘Sit back for a moment.’

87 lays back on to my chest. His head is just in front of mine. I wrap my arms around him. I just like holding him to me.

‘I want us to play hard. I don’t want anyone to think that we threw this game, 91.’

‘I know. And we won’t. I just don’t think that we will be able to win this game. Not with our goalie situation. We need to make this the best outcome possible. Flower will be rested for Game 6. We just need to get through Game 5 without any major disasters.’ The more I think about this the more I’m convinced I’m right. It would be easier to waltz into Game 5 thinking we are going to take it but the reality is not so easily defined. ‘It’s like that book on battle plans during WW2 you’ve been reading. We know that we don’t have the best footing for this skirmish so let’s just get out of this with the least amount of collateral damage as possible.’

‘Way to bring this back to something I can relate to, 91.’ 87 laughs. ‘You’re getting crafty.’

*******

‘Hey Ray.’ I lookover my half glasses and set down the pages I’ve been reviewing.

‘ I see that that your line up has been finally posted. I’m surprised at the 5 healthy scratches for tonight’s game. I’d have thought that you’d have come in here guns blazing ready to take the series.’ Jacques Martin has coached in the NHL now for more years than I can remember. The Habs fired him in during 2012 due to a poor performance by a lack-luster team.

‘Well this has been a season of surprises and learning, Jacques.’ I stand to shake his hand. ‘Please have a seat.’

‘Thank you, I will. I was surprised to get your call yesterday.’ Jacques sits down beside me. We are in the press box high above the ice surface where Game 5 will soon take place. ‘How can I help you?’

I like playing my cards close to my chest. I called Jacques after Mario and I chatted about our plans for next season. Dan isn’t going to be close to ready to resume his coach duties by next fall. Jaseur and I both know that Tylyn has been a great choice as an interim measure. But she should not have to face the rigors of the 82 game season. Sid and she need time to develop their relationship without 30 other people being in it. Also, I hear that Nathalie is riding his ass. Go Nathalie. So I’ve been looking at options for another assistant coach. Jacques lives here in Montreal so I thought it might be nice to have a conversation with him during the game to assess his thoughts.

‘I thought we’d share a beer, a few laughs and watch a game of hockey.’ I smile at him. My phone on the table in front of me vibrates. I tap the screen to reveal the message.

Tygyrl91: let the game begin.

I miss having Tylyn’s perspective up here. I miss her enthusiasm for the game. I miss her humour. I might not always get where she is coming from but she sure does get strategy of hockey.

‘Always working mon ami?’ Jacques looks pointedly at my phone.

‘Always. I’m always working. Never forget that, Jacques never.’ I laugh to diffuse any tension but I do mean it. I’m always working. I think that is why I get along so well with young Tylyn. She is always thinking about the team. How to develop them into something better or how best to use the assets that we have? She will be hard to replace behind that bench. Maybe I can find someone to help relief the pressure for her. I look down at the bench of players dressed in their white away jerseys. Behind them stand Tony, Todd and Tylyn. I grin to myself. The three T’s.

RShero: Give em hell ‘Gyrl!

‘What do you think your chances for closing out this series today are? My guest asks me. I look about the room to see who is standing close by. My guys are milling around. The healthy scratches are coming over to the window seat to watch the game. A few of the press are getting set up behind them.

‘Anything is possible here. Is that what you would suggest for us to go out guns blazing? And try to close this thing out here?’ I organize the sheets of statistics in front of me into a neat pile. I am not just making conversation here. I really do want to know what Martin would suggest. He takes his time looking around the room as well. He seems to be formulating a plan.

‘From the looks of people in here, I’m thinking that if you win this game you’ll be happy but that you’re not banking on it. You’re resting those 5 guys, aren’t you?’ Jacques is in his early 60’s and savy to the game. ‘You’re going to work on grinding the Habs down. Then if there is a Game 6 on home ice these guys will come out fresh as daisies after having 5 days of rest. Evil, Shero that is just evil. You released your lineup after the Habs did. You knew that they are in a must win situation and were dressing players to win tonight.’

‘Not my plan. I voted for bringing the uzies in this afternoon and finishing this thing off. I got out voted.’ I wasn’t so much out voted but out logic’d. When Tylyn explained her logic, her plan was very hard to refute. The Tygyrl has got this team within spitting distance of the conference final series. This has been much more than we had hoped for on that cold dark day in April.

‘Who’s plan then? Not Mario’s. He’s crap at game plans. Oh don’t get me wrong the man could play the game but not at this level. He has a bull in the china shop approach to the game. This seems more like finesse. This sounds more like Dan but I hear Dan has had a few setbacks. ’ Jacques is tapping a fore finger to his lips while he thinks through this. The puck has dropped below us and our top line has only stayed out for maybe 30 seconds. ‘I’m going to guess not Dan either as he’s busy on the road to recovery. Your new coach?’

‘She’s one sharp cookie.’ I smile and wink. My phone buzzes again.

NLemieux: Baby Estelle born @ 113pm. 6lbs 5 oz. Everyone doing well.

I forward the text to my wife. That’s such great news. Now let’s get down to business.

*****

I can’t decide which is worse. Being scratched as a healthy player? Or sitting here on the bench not being played? I am a player I want to play. I want to play a lot! I normally play about 25- 30 minutes per game so this only getting to play a few minutes per period has been the hardest thing in my career so far. I can’t imagine how the third and fourth line guys do this every game. It’s so hard to sit and watch. The crowd in the building has been jeering me every time I do step on to the ice. Not that I’ve played more than 5 minutes tonight. I look over at Vokie sitting segregated on his stool. He looks dreadful. His eyes look blurry and his nose is running from the cold he caught last week. Hartnell for his part has stepped up his game. I thought when he came into the locker room today he was going to puke when 91 told him he was starting but so far he has sucked it up. The shots on goal are pretty even at 18 for us and 21 for the Habs.

When 91 told me the strategy for this afternoon’s game, I was skeptical. Okay I thought it was crap but watching it play out in front of me. I can see the wisdom in it. We are down only by one point. That has meant that the Habs can’t sit back and wind down the clock. We on our part are working them hard. The guys have been pushing the play hard and by not taking any soft penalties. There have been very few stoppages in play. 91’s plan has involved scratching Malkin’s line for this game. Geno’s line has been productive but they are all hurting. So it’s line reversal again with the grinders playing most of the game. The score is 2-1, it’s the third period and the end of this game is insight. So far the only injury incurred tonight has been Vokie’s cold. Hopefully, he won’t share it with anyone else.

‘Can you get a goal?’ I hear her soft whisper in my ear.

‘Yeah, if you let me go play.’ I tip my head back so I can hear her better. ‘I thought the plan was to grind them down.’

‘It is. So please tie up the game to force another overtime period.’ 91 is standing right behind me. I can smell her perfume. ‘I think that energy out there is dropping off. I bet if you scored a goal in the last few minutes of play that it would crush some spirits.’

‘But you don’t want us to win?’ I am back to being confused.

‘Great if you do but like I told Hartzell it is not necessary. We will smoked them like salmon on Wednesday in our building playing our game. Not this neutral zone trap thing. All we need is one goal, please.’ I hear my cheeky chickadee. She’s playing her own game here.

‘Dup. Kuni. You heard the gal she wants one goal.’ The Ref blows a play off side and the three of us leap over the boards.

We are fresh meat off the bench and at the 0:1:05.8 mark. I saucered one across to Kuni who smoked it past Price to ties the game. I aim to please if 91 wants an over time period then who am I to deny her. The fans in the stands are silent as I skate in to congratulate Kuni. Fuck yeah, take that Montreal.

*****

No, not more overtime. I have things that I want to do today. The 1pm start of any eastern game means a 10am start here on the west coast. So this overtime is seriously going to cut into my afternoon. I know it’s Sunday God’s day of rest but there is no rest on the farm in spring time.

‘Yeah, yeah, go pens.’ Gerry is yelling. Okay let me be perfectly honest with you. He’s screaming it. Buster my old lab has started barking. I’m pretty sure Buster has no idea why he is barking. ‘Go Sid Yeah. Kuni, Yeah.’

I look over at Rosie and roll my eyes. It’s not that I’m cheering against my daughter and son-in-law but rather the noise that her uncle is making.

‘Just you go and thank Mum for taking him to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. That could be you.’ She laughs.

‘You know that I’d love to go. I would drop everything here on the farm if necessary but I think that Harvey wants Helen to go out to visit.’ I have had this discussion with my wife before. I think that romance is in the air.

‘Yeah I know. Gerry is so excited.’ Rosalie points to my youngest brother who is now up doing a happy dance.

‘I know. I know.’ I say.

‘Why doesn’t Sid’s line stay out, Piet?’ Gerry is incredulous as we watch the third period wind down.

‘I’ll bet that the Pens are just toying with the Habs. This is strategy at work, Gerry. Just you wait. Tylyn knows you are going Pittsburgh to watch game 6. She’ll make sure it’s a winning game for you.’ I don’t really know this for sure but watching my daughter behind the bench and knowing her well. I’d say she has a plan. Tylyn has held Sid’s line back for most of the game until she wanted that last goal. Then she asked him to tally one. We watched the tv as she placed her hand on Sid’s shoulder and speak into his ear. Tylyn has cunning plan and I’m glad that she’s not coaching that team against me. I feel my heart tighten with pride in my chest as the camera focuses on her face as the clock winds down. It’s her game face but what gives away the plan to me is the twinkle in her eyes. She is getting what she wants. God forbid anyone who stands in her way.

*****

PensTvScoop@pensscoop: A bouncing puck ends it in OT. 3-2 Habs over the Pens. See you Wednesday at CEC.