"Hey look, Mats. There's your lady friend", said Stepan, during warmups, pointing to Alexis. She was seated behind Hank. I smiled and waved to her, and she waved back.
Promptly, we started the game, and within minutes, gained a power play. Dorsett had lost control and had accidentally rammed into Lucic, who proceeded to throw punches. With a man advantage, I was on the ice with Pouliot and Brassard when Brassard gained possession. Skating down the ice, he passed to me, and I broke away from the Bruins defenseman, and scored on Tuukka Rask. The train horn roared as the garden erupted in cheers.
In the second period, Boston scored to tie it, but my line managed to get down the ice to where Rask was. Brassard fired a shot that rebounded off of the post, and I managed to tip the puck in, right under Tuukka's arm. The horn went off again, and fans chanted "ZUUUCC! ZUUUCC! ZUUUCC!". I shot a glance over at Alexis, and saw her chanting my name, too.
Marty St. Louis scored next, and the second period ended.
In the the third period, my line gained possession again, and Pouliot hit the crossbar. The puck went flying, and I managed to gain control. I passed to Pouliot, and he passed to Brassard, who passed to me. Finally, I was able to get the puck and shoot it in the net from the left side. Rask miscalculated, and the puck went under his legs, for my first hat trick. "WOOHOOO!", I yelled, as my teammates joined me, speaking words of congratulation. Hats rained down on the ice, the horn blowing, and fans cheering. I noticed Alexis, in my jersey as she dug a Rangers hat out of her drawstring bag and threw it on the ice.
Seven minutes later, the game ended, and we won, 4-1 against Boston.
YOU ARE READING
The Train Ride That Changed My Life
RomanceWhen Alexis Kennedy, a 25 year-old law school student (and a diehard New York Rangers fan), returns to New York City on Amtrak train #147, her life changes when the only empty seat in the business class car is next to the famous Rangers forward Mats...
