Page 141 of Playing Her Game

Chicago's forwards rotate through their positions with practiced efficiency, each man reading the defense and adjusting. Cruz drops back to support Gabe, while Eli pushes higher into the offensive zone, looking for space.

New Jersey isn't giving them anything easy. They close lanes, collapse on the puck carrier, and force Chicago to work for every inch of ice. The Riptides' defenders communicate constantly, pointing and shouting adjustments as they track Chicago's movement.

Rez cuts across the neutral zone and skates hard into open ice. Gabe sees him and fires the puck in his direction. Rez controls it without breaking stride, accelerating through a gap the Riptides' defenseman didn't close fast enough.

A New Jersey player pivots to follow, but Rez already has the angle. He draws the defender toward him, pulling him out of position, then slips a pass across to Hayes, who one-times it toward the net.

The goalie kicks it away with his pad.

"That was close," Lucy says.

"Very close," I tell her.

Aleks leans forward, watching the replay on the jumbotron. "Their defense collapsed too early. Gave him the lane."

"He made the lane," Lenzin counters. "Speed does that."

"Speed without structure just gets you offside."

"Structure without speed gets you hemmed in your own zone."

Sofie glances at me. "This is going to continue all night."

"I'm counting on it."

Lucy tugs my sleeve. "Does Uncle Fancy know I'm still here?"

"He knows."

"But does he know?"

I kiss the top of her head. "He knows."

On the ice, Chicago regroups. Rez skates back into position, his focus already shifting to the next shift. Gabe taps his stick against the ice as they circle toward the bench, and Rez taps back.

Trust. Familiarity. Brotherhood.

I watch him disappear over the boards, replaced by Cruz and Eli, and realize I'm holding my breath.

Chicago finds its rhythm midway through the second.

Gabe carries the puck out of the defensive zone, his stride smooth and confident. He draws a forechecker toward him, then chips the puck up the boards to Lincoln, who moves it cleanly into the neutral zone. Jax receives the pass and accelerates, Hayes and Cruz supporting him on either wing.

The plays aren't flashy. They're efficient, controlled, and built on recognition.

When Gabe and Rez take the ice together, something shifts. They don't need elaborate setups or extended possession. Gabe carries the puck through the neutral zone, and Rez times his entry perfectly, skating into space behind New Jersey's defense before anyone realizes the angle exists.

Gabe's pass arrives exactly where Rez expects it.

Rez cuts toward the net, pulls the goalie's attention, and slides the puck back to Gabe, who fires it high.

Goal.

Lucy screams. The Phoenixes bench erupts, players pounding the boards and shouting at their teammates. Gabe skates toward Rez, grinning like the moment was inevitable, and Rez slaps his glove in return.

"That's how you do it," Aleks says beside me.

Lenzin nods. "Clean execution."