“Don’t shoot.”The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.Damon is already mid-windup at the blue line. The puck sits perfect on his blade. The goalie is screened. The lane is clean.Five seconds left in overtime.Tie game.If he scores, we go to the finals.If he misses, we go to a shootout.He hesitates.Just for a fraction.And that fraction changes everything.Instead of firing, he slides the puck across the ice to me.Hard. Fast. Trusting.I don’t think.I shoot.The red light explodes.The horn screams.The arena loses its mind.We’re going to the finals.Teammates swarm us. Helmets collide. Gloves slam against my back. The noise is so loud it feels physical.But through the chaos, I grab Damon’s jersey.“Yo
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