Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Don't Rain on My Stanley Cup Parade

New Jersey wins game seven against Boston in their Conference Finals to move on to face the Boulders in the Stanley Cup Final.

Both New Jersey and Colorado are tired and clearly playing through injuries but, despite this, compete like their lives depend on it. Each team wins a game in Jersey and again in Colorado. Tied 2-2 in the final series, Colorado loses while away, but wins at home.

Time seems to be moving both excruciatingly slow and fast over the next couple of days. The players are exhausted and just want to finish the series which makes time seem to crawl by. However, the teams also find that the days are flying by in an adrenaline-pumping, nerve-wracking haze.

Tye can't sit still when he's off the ice, even with the ache in his left ankle and persisting back pain that will surely catch up to him in the offseason. His body and mind need near constant stimulation leading up to the final game. Media helps to physically keep him busy, but it also causes him to overthink how he's playing which results in waves of anxiety that he bottles up and pushes aside.

Attempting to calm Tye's nerves has been Moss' number one priority during the final series. He learns proper massage techniques to help with Tye's back pain, he prepares healthy and delicious meals that are approved by the team nutritionist and he's almost always making pointless conversation to distract Tye when he starts to look lost in his own thoughts.

Tye obviously notices all of Moss' supportive gestures and tells him over and over again how grateful and lucky he is to have him during this playoff run. His anxiety is still not great, but Moss has certainly made it a lot more manageable. He has even started calling Moss late at night during away games when he has trouble falling asleep because his voice seems to be the only thing that calms him down at the moment.

Moss is nervous, but excited for the final game. No matter the outcome, he is quietly happy for the playoff chaos to come to an end very soon. While he is incredibly proud of Tye and the team for making it as far as they have, he can't stand seeing Tye in this state of distress much longer.

Thankfully, tomorrow is game seven of the final series which will determine the winner of the 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The last game will take place in New Jersey which is where all of the players and their loved ones are currently located to watch in person.

Having just flown in a couple of hours ago, Moss is now walking back to the hotel after eating lunch with Melanie and Roksana. The hockey players have to sleep in separate rooms from their partners who are staying on a different floor, but the BWAGs are all present for the final game of the playoffs nonetheless.

"I felt like a teenager again- it was crazy!" Melanie exclaims with wide eyes. "I was sweating bullets thinking I was going to get us caught. If someone saw me go into John's room and he got in trouble for it.... I would never forgive myself."

"So dramatic. I walk to Sasha's room and pass many Boulders and no one says anything," Roksana replies cooly.

Both Melanie and Roksana had flown in earlier than Moss, so Ev and Sasha convinced them to break the team rules to sleep in their respective rooms on the players floor. Moss probably would have done the same thing if he had been in New Jersey the day before as well. Alas, he and Tye had to instead settle for a FaceTime call where they both fell asleep while still on the phone with each other.

Gasping in surprise at this information, Melanie turns to the Russian woman, "How can you be so nonchalant about that? If the coach or someone higher up on the team saw you, Sasha could have been benched for the final game!"

"Very silly," Roksana laughs, "no one is benched for game seven. Is all empty threat."

Moss laughs along at their exchange while Melanie is clearly still shocked by Roksana's boldness.