Page 178 of No Line Change

And, of course, Dylan took his sweet time. He stopped for a drink of water, grabbed a fresh towel from the stack, and waved to the trainer before finally, finally he was within arm’s reach of Henri. If only they weren’t at the stupid team gym.

“Hey, ready to head out?” Henri asked as inconspicuously as possible. He glanced around, but there was no one left but Briggs and Gibbs. The goalies were too busy to notice them, though, as they tossed a ball back and forth, bouncing it off the wall and floor unexpectedly, throwing it with more force than could be reasonable when working with a teammate.

Dylan wiped sweat off his face with a towel and tossed it into the laundry hamper. “I was going to do some weights…” He trailed off as he got a look at Henri’s face. After an appreciative once-over, he gave a lop-sided smirk. “Guess I could do some cardio instead.”

turkeytalk (May 13, 2024): The Turkeys lose three straight to the Manitoba Aviators. They are one game away from playoff elimination. In a series that they started with two huge away from home wins. fml

↪ gobblegoals: they were also one game away from elimination in the outlaws series, came back to tie it, and then won game seven. have faith!

↪ turkeytalk: I’m trying. But the odds are NOT in their favor. Not just for this series, but going farther. Teams who need seven games to close out a series tire themselves out. Look at Manitoba - finished off the Mountaineers in five. Mounties took out the Prowlers in 5. Boston beat the Gliders in 6. Ohio swept the Nor’easters. All those teams look fresh…

↪ gobblegoals: i agree it must be exhausting, but it also must do something to a team that can look into the abyss and come back from it, right?

↪ turkeytalk: I fucking hope so.

“Listen up,” Dylan shouted down the tunnel.

The arena was ungodly loud. Louder than Henri had ever heard Albuquerque fans be. It was a sold-out crowd, all dressed in brown and red. The whole fucking state was beyond the tunnel, cheering them on. But the team quieted down and turned to their captain. Henri could see they were scared (they’d be fools not to have some nerves, not when they were playing a team this solid).

But as they waited for the rousing speech that would draw out that inner competitor, unleash that hidden thing inside them that wanted to win, Dylan just smiled and asked, “We gonna have some fun tonight, babes?”

There was an awkward almost silence.

Dylan shook his head and put a gloved hand up next to his ear. “Sorry, I think I misheard. I asked if we’re gonna have some fun tonight.”

“Fuck yeah, we’re gonna have some fun,” Novak shouted and whooped.

Knox followed soon after with an even louder, “Time to play some hockey, boys!”

“One last time before we go kick some ass,” Dylan said. “Are we gonna have some fun tonight?”

This time they all enthusiastically cheered back, a cacophony of agreement in the form of words, screams, barks, and Henri’s wolf howl, that Larsen and Brandt took up with him. Then it was the more familiar banging of chests together. The fistbumps and let’s go’s that preceded every game.

“I wanna see smiles out there, babes,” Dylan called as they started out toward the ice. “It ain’t hockey if you ain’t having fun!”

“Is that so?” Henri asked wryly. “If that’s the case, I think there might’ve been whole years I didn’t play a single game of hockey at all.”

Dylan pulled him close in a side-hug and kissed the top of his helmet. “That’s why you’re here with the Turkeys, sweetheart. Make it fun again. That’s the real key to playoff hockey. You gotta want it, but you gotta love it. Let’s go get that W. I want that fucking Conference Final. Fuck this second round BS.”

Henri nodded and let Dylan lead the way.

abqturkeysnhl (May 15, 2024): Game Six Puck Drop! Top line is no surprise: Novak-Baptiste-Everett to start us off. We want a win tonight, boys!

turkeytalk (May 15, 2024): Live blogging the game because maybe that way I can vent some of the stress. Good opening shift from the top line. Lots of possession but not shots. I’ll take it. #turkeysLB

↪ turkeytalk: Penalty against Pacman on the Aviators. Over a buck thirty to go in the first. Real chance to get a momentum boost before the end of the period. Even if the Turkeys’ Power Play has looked like ass this series. #turkeysLB

↪ turkeytalk: OMFG!! Instead of his usual stick handle and make a pass to Knox at the point or Everett far side, Baptiste just walks right in and takes a shot on the PP. Hernandez with the rebound. Turkeys up 1-0!! #turkeysLB

↪ turkeytalk: Big Rigg with some HUGE saves. Walsh lost his stick. Baptiste gave him his, but they’re opposite handedness. And still, Baptiste blocks two shots and Walsh with the clear. Briggs held down the fort until they could get it out of the zone. I’M SO SCARED TO BELIEVE WE CAN DO THIS. #turkeysLB

↪ turkeytalk: Fuck. Mitchells with a goal late in the second. 1-1 at the intermission. Tied game. #turkeysLB

↪ turkeytalk: ???? What did I just watch?? Everett going for a line change, he dumps it in from center ice…….and it goes in??? The goalie just…let it in?? Amazing. Awful. Worst goal of Dylan Everett’s career. But also a really needed goal to put us up 2-1. Are the hockey gods actually on our side because W O W was that a lucky bounce. #turkeysLB

↪ gobblegoals: ugly goal for sure, but when you’ve scored as many as he has, do you think he remembers? only thing that matters if they can win this stupid game

↪ turkeytalk: 5 minutes left. Manitoba is empty net. They want to close this series out. Crazy. #turkeysLB