Late October 2015

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are in Tampa Bay to play the Lightning in the first of two games of the new season. This means that Gabriel Landeskog is meeting up with his new best friend named Vladislav Namestnikov. They have both agreed to meet up before the game and hang out in Downtown Tampa.

Vlad has everything planned out. He wants to show Gabriel the city some more and especially wants to show him his favorite spot by the Bay. Luckily Gabriel leaves the practice early, putting the alternate captains in charge. He makes his way out of Amalie Arena and smiles as he spots Vlad leaning against the lightning statue outside. The Russian Bieber-look alike has on sunglasses and looks so "cool".

"Vladdy!" Gabriel calls out, waving his hand in the air at him.

Vlad tugs his sunglasses down his nose and looks over the top at Gabriel. He then pushes them back into place and straightens up, losing his "cool" attitude. He flashes a kind smile back. "Nice outfit Landy. Did Zady or Kinny pick it out for you?"

"Nah," Gabriel says. "How about yourself? I mean obviously Stammer helped you out!"

Vlad snorts with amusement. "Yeah. It was Drouin...not Stammer!"

"Nathan's not too happy about you befriending Drouin...or Jo. He says not to 'corrupt' him, you know, with your arrogance." Gabriel rolls his eyes.

"Tell Nathan, he can bite me!" Vlad scowls momentarily at him, flashing his teeth like an angry dog, before he laughs.

"Alright, so what are you showing me?" Gabriel asks, changing the subject and looking around at the surroundings. It is a clear dry sunny afternoon in Tampa and there is a nice breeze in the air. It isn't like Colorado, but it is somewhat nice.

Vlad smirks and points to the side of him toward the narrow space between the arena and the Student Ticket office building. They begin to head in that direction. They round the back side of the arena and instantly they spot the Bay. Vlad beams as they walk across the street and over to a small private beach where a picnic table it half anchored into sand.

The two hockey players take a seat on either side.

"Well, this is my favorite spot." Vlad gestures to the sides of him, smiling. "It's so peaceful. It's like being back in Russia."

Gabriel looks out at the water. He slowly nods. "I can see why you like this place. But for me, personally, I like the snow and the cold mountains in Colorado."

Vlad wrinkles his nose up in disgust. "Well, you can have those snowy avalanche-ridden hazards, but I'll keep the peaceful Bay."

They remain sitting at the table for a few more minutes, just staring at the water and listening to the gentle sound of the breeze mixed with the annoying cries of seagulls.

After five minutes pass by, Gabriel blinks and turns to his new Tampa friend. "Well, shall we both get back to Amalie and to our boys? I look forward to wiping the ice with your pretty little face later on?" Gabriel playfully winks at him.

"You can try, but I don't think you've got the balls to do so!" Vlad retorts.

"We'll see about that won't we!" Gabriel snaps back, jumping to his feet.

Vlad jumps to his feet, slamming his fist on the wooden table. His eyes sparkle at the thrill of an argument. "I look forward to it! Bring it Swede!"

"Careful, wouldn't want you 'Russian' into something too tough now!" Gabriel slyly sneers, using air quotes.

"Is that supposed to be a clever pun, cause it was weak...sorta like your team!"

"Oh yeah!" Gabriel catcalls, sticking his head out toward Vlad.

"Yeah!" Vlad replies, sticking his head out toward Gabriel.

They remain with their heads an inch apart, glaring at one another, before they break down into laughter.

Vlad controls himself and sits back down on the bench seat of the table. "But for realz Landy Boo, good luck tonight!"

"Same to you Lightning Bolt!" He sits back down as well.

They remain at the table, cooling off from the fun heated argument and stare at the Bay waters some more, which lick at the stones lining the grassy edges. Then they get up and head back to the arena. They bid each other farewell by the lightning statue and then hurry inside, splitting apart with one last chirp.

Later that night,

Gabriel Landeskog lines up across from Tyler Johnson at the faceoff dot. He chances a glance to the bench, where Vlad is glaring at him and mouthing, "Don't you dare trip me up or else...!" Gabriel flashes him a smirk and turns back to Johnson and the ref.

Before long the puck is dropped and the game is underway. Gabriel wins the draw and gets the puck to Nathan Mackinnon. Nathan launches off but is stopped by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning forward steals the disc away and launches back down, however he is smashed into the boards by Nikita Zadorov.

"Повезет в следующий раз, Куч! (Better luck next time, Kuch!)" Zady teases.

"Zadorov!" Kuchy snarls, regaining his footing and facing the Russian defenseman for Colorado.

They exchange a few crosschecks with one another before breaking apart and darting back to the play. Gabriel has the puck and is teasing Tyler Johnson with it. Vlad hops the boards and comes onto the ice, switching out with Ondrej Palat. He growls and charges at Gabriel. He rams into the Colorado player, sending him into the boards.

The Avalanche captain collapses onto the ice, slumped against the boards. He snaps his head up to see Vlad smirking at him. "Vladdy?!"

The play is whistled dead after the puck sails over the boards and out of play, off Nathan's stick. The young forward swings his stick into the boards releasing a grunt of frustration. He isn't too worked up, but he is flustered at himself.

"Hiya Landy Boo! Just thought I'd greet ya! Coop was planning on keeping us separate, but given that you are up by two goals....anything flies." Vlad taps the ice with his stick.

"Namestnikov, I'm gonna really make you pay now!" Gabriel threatens, getting to his feet.

"Oh, was that a threat, swede-heart? Come on now, threats are so unbecoming of you." Vlad whisks off in laughter. He fist pumps Kuchy and Johnson on the way to the new faceoff dot. John Cooper, the coach for the Lightning is apparently keeping the temporary line out on the ice together.

Gabriel shakes his head and mutters to himself, "Fourth line Russians..."

Zady skates up, just catching the last words of Gabriel's mutter. "What about Russians?" He narrows his eyes and looks at his captain with unamusement and a little bit of hurt.

"Fourth line Russians, meaning Vladdy, not you Zady. Gosh, that Lightning Bolt is such a pest! I didn't think Russians could be so pesty...and arrogant." Gabriel pulls on his jersey, fixing it back into a comfortable way.

"You be surprised, Gabe. Once we warm up and feel comfortable, we very different people. Look at Ovi and Geno." Zady winks at him and puts a gloved hand on his shoulder. "No underestimate Russians."

"Yeah, but it's taking all my energy and self control not to lash out and get him again!"

"No cheat, Gabe. Besides, I thought you two friends now?" Zady questions, cocking his head to the side in bewilderment.

"We are. Off the ice." Gabriel nods to him. He skates to the bench, signalling another player to come on for him.

A few shifts later, Nathan Mackinnon finds himself on the ice with his old friend in Jonathan Drouin. Vlad converses with Drouin before the faceoff to which he receives an evil eye from the Avalanche forward.

"Namestnikov..." Nathan growls. "Leave Jo alone!"

"Why? He isn't your friend anymore!"

"Yeah he is, I don't like your arrogance rubbing off on him!"

"Oh, is that so? Tell 'im Jo!"

Drouin gets set in his position and lowers his stick, nodding to the ref. As the ref readies to drop the puck, Drouin smirks at Nathan and shoulders him out of the dot. "Yeah, Vladdy's right."

He wins the puck, shocking Nathan and gets it to Vlad, who launches down the wing. Drouin shoots off joining him, while Nathan scrambles to recover. Vlad and Drouin do a give-and-go with the puck and then Vlad dekes the defender and puts the puck top shelf, past the glove hand of the Avalanche goalie.

Vlad instantly screams and rounds the net. He points at Drouin first and then at Nathan, who covers his face with his palm. "HAHA! Yeah! Suck it Kinny!"

"Vladdy," a deep voice says from behind the forward. "There's no need to taunt. Be nice!"

Vlad spins and spots Victor Hedman skating up to him with Nikita Nesterov at his side. Vlad is grabbed by Drouin in a big hug. Drouin pats him on the helmet and Vlad flashes a guilty, yet happy grin.

"Good goal Vladdy!" Nesty states, half high-fiving, half fist bumping the younger man.

They go through the whole routine of skating by the bench, while the crowd cheers and the announcer announces Vlad's goal. Then they get back in the bench.

For the remainder of the game, Gabriel and Vlad are separated, apart from an occasional bench chirp or two. However, in the beginning of the third period, Gabriel takes a high-stick from Brenden Morrow. As much as Vlad likes the rivalry the two possess, he does care about the ice hero and he is shaken when Gabriel struggles off the ice and down the tunnel. And for once...for the first time...his arrogance vanishes!