Watching the last six minutes of last night’s Eastern Conference Final was a huge learning experience for me. My heart was racing, I was on the edge of my seat, having fallen asleep only an hour earlier with Annie in her bed. As a family, we have watched nearly every Bruins game like true fans, we love hockey, and last night the hockey Gods returned our wishes.
Turning to my husband with four minutes left, he told me to take a deep breath. “This is what athletics is all about” he said. I knew what he meant. As soon as I took that deep breath, it calmed me down. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like in the Garden. 17,000 people standing, screaming, with anticipation of a win.
The last two minutes felt the longest. There were no penalties the entire game. Each team played flawless hockey, but only one, the Bruins, had scored. I waited patiently, still taking deep breaths, as I longed for the stadium announcer to say “Onnnnnne minute left in the period.” Tick, tick, tick. The clock moves so slowly, 41 seconds, whistle.
A face off on center ice, Patrice Bergeron takes it. Empty net for the Lightening, with the extra man. Bergeron must win the face off. He’d won nearly twice as many face-offs as his opponents in game 3. My heart begins to race again. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. One, last, deep breath.
Ten seconds left, five seconds left, the Bruins win!
The Bruins are the Eastern Conference Champions, and will play for the Stanley Cup. Finally, my heart settles, and now I get to chuckle watching the news guys report from outside the Garden. That was true entertainment. That made the whole season for this true fan.
