March 31, 2016

One week after Anton Stralman goes down, the Tampa Bay Lightning sit somberly in the locker room. The past two games have been a blur, with one win and one loss. And they'd been lucky to get the win against the Islanders on the 25th. But the mood has remained the same, quiet and depressing. And now, the team is about to take on Montreal without Stralman or Vladdy.

Steven rubs his eyes and chokes back on his feelings, it won't help out any if the captain breaks down. He sniffles and looks at his teammates. Ondrej and TJ are holding a sobbing Nikita in their arms, while Victor looks distantly at his friend's stall.

Steven gets to his feet. He has to do something. He opens his mouth to speak, but before he can, Nikita chokes out, "First Vladdy...now Stralsy..."

"It'll be okay, we're gonna be fine Kuch," TJ mutters and glances up at Steven with hopeful eyes.

Steven nods at him and tries to muster a smile. "Boys, we can do this without Stralsy and without Vladdy. We just gotta believe in ourselves and have faith that things will work out. Who knows, Chucky may have found Vladdy and they're on their way right now...any second they could walk in here..."

Nikita blinks. "Really?"

"Stammer, don't give the kid false hope! Those bloody Islanders took out my best friend and my partner!" Victor snaps, slamming his hand against the top of his stall. "Besides, he's important to our defense. I can't carry this team."

"I can," Ben Bishop remarks.

"Of course you can, you're a goalie. It's expected of you!" Victor snarls. "And now coach is most likely gonna put me with Sus or..."

Carle walks in and strikes a pose. "That's right bitches, it's me. I'm back. Did you all miss me?" He walks around, purposefully stepping on Callahan's foot and roughly pinching Nikita's cheek. "My favorite Triplets!"

Ondrej smacks Carle's hand away and hugs Nikita.

"Carle? But I thought--?" TJ begins.

"Coop ended the suspension for me, Smalls, because he needs a veteran defenseman. Also, I wanna say hi to my friends tonight!" Carle says with a laugh. "Have you gotten shorter since Markov, Gally and I kidnapped you?"

TJ frowns.

"Oh, hey, where's that blond Russian kid, Namestnikof I think..." Carle screws his face up in thought, looking around at the others.

"Vladdy, his name is Vladdy and take a good guess Carle," Steven says, folding his arms across his chest. "Your little Montreal buddies didn't tell you?"

"Nah, after I got suspended, I've been hanging out with Drouin. He's kinda my best friend but he went to help out the Habs, giving them information and all about that Yzerchuk...I've just been hanging alone. But to be honest guys, I've changed. It does get really boring sitting at home doing nothing, so I called up Yzerman and apologized."

Steven blinks.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I was a jerk to you all. Especially you, TJ," Carle continues, bowing his head respectfully to TJ. "I realize that you all need me and that you guys gave me a chance and I failed you. I'd like to start over."

TJ looks at Steven, while Nikita looks at Carle, who steps forward and wraps his arms around Ondrej, TJ, and Nikita.

"Alright, this isn't awkward..." Ondrej states. "But what the hell, glad you chose the good side Carle man."

Steven smiles and looks to where Victor shrugs and relaxes from his anger. Had Matt Carle just brought hope to the team? Even so, the man has suddenly filled the room with warm, loving energy.

Unfortunately...it is soon game time...all the Bolts, including the newly changed Matt Carle head out of the locker room and into the hall, determined.

"Come on boys, we got this! We can get the win for Stralsy! And for Vladdy!" Steven exclaims. "Let's get that win! Let's show Montreal we can win!"

"YEAH!" Everyone shouts.

They head out of the tunnel and onto the ice. As everyone warms up, Steven skates to the bench and leans against it. "Oh, and Kuch, Pally and TJ come here," the Tampa captain says, motioning to the Triplets.

TJ, Nikita, and Ondrej all skate over to him and dip their heads with respect.

"What's up Stammer?" TJ asks.

"I'm relying on you three tonight. Triplet magic, okay?" Steven remarks. "Do it for Vladdy, the honorary 4th."

They all nod. Ondrej and Nikita skate off and TJ makes to follow them, but Steven halts him. TJ spins back and cocks his head.

"Stammer?"

"Look, I got desperate and I only trust you," Steven whispers, glancing around nervously. "I called up the girls, Evelyna and Dani and I found out they have Yzerchuk, who is safe for now. But I told them to come and bring Vladdy's stick with them. I got them special security and bodyguards too, so no one steals the stick...especially if Gallagher is lurking about. We may need them and Yzerchuk though!"

TJ nods. "I understand."

"I lost faith in you once, TJ, I won't again!" Steven smiles at him and then they both launch back into the warmups.

15 minutes later...

Alex Galchenyuk skates to center ice for the opening faceoff. He purposefully leans in close to Ryan Callahan and mutters, "Tell Stammer I almost found Vladdy but Gally got away but I'm close to finding him and I may need some help."

Callahan nods, silently. He is flanked by his linemates Cedric Paquette and Valtteri Filppula. Behind him are Matt Carle and Victor Hedman. With Galchenyuk, he is flanked by Paul Byron and Max Pacioretty. Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin are behind them, glowering at the Lightning players. Carle taps his stick in anger. Pacioretty and Filppula go for the puck and the Lightning win it.

With the first period underway, the Bolts own the possession and are dominant. Steven sits on the bench and spots the security bringing in Evelyna and Dani, who wave at the captain. Steven nods at them, noticing Evelyna grasping the stick firmly in her hands.

"THE STICK!" Markov growls and begins to head toward the bench not caring about the puck or anything.

In the background on the ice, Callahan slips up on his skates and goes into the goal post. He grumbles getting back to his skates and launches for the bench. He checks his skates out, knowing Montreal could have tampered with the skates again. The pesty ex-Ranger glances up and glares at the Montreal bench.

As he gets that checked on, Markov now sits on the bench and taps Subban and the others to show them the stick. "That's Yzerchuk boys, which means Gally has a decoy and that means it's up to us to get that. Subs, you're in charge of going and getting that stick!"

PK Subban nods and makes his way to the end of the bench and goes down the tunnel after a quick word with the training staff there. TJ sees this and lets Steven know just as Nikita almost scores for the Bolts.

"Is Subs hurt? Nah, he's going for Yzerchuk of course, but I have faith Dani and Evelyna can handle him. Lets just focus on the game. We gotta get one into the net!" Steven proclaims. "In Yzerchuk, I believe that we will win! Let's get 'em!"

Subban continues to head down the tunnel and then walks back ice up to the fan corridor. He angrily shoves through the crowd and finds his way to the entrance of where the girls are sitting. For wearing skates, he finds moving about to be a shocking ease as he reaches over and snatches the stick into his hands.

"DANI!" Evelyna screams, tightening her own grip on the stick.

"Give me the stick!" Subban growls, starting in a tug-of-war with her as they both glare, grasping onto the stick horizontally.

"Over my dead body you washed up d-man!" Dani snaps back, grabbing onto Yzerchuk as well.

While they fight for possession of the magical stick with the two bodyguards keeping a close eye on them (somehow they aren't good bodyguards...), standing in the "Standing Area" of Amalie Arena, TJ and Ondrej nod to one another and take the ice with Nikita, who shows no sign of his baby-like behavior (playing the game turns him into 'Super Kuch'). There is a non-call as a Montreal player clearly dives and holds onto TJ's stick. TJ ignores him however and launches down the ice.

Another shot on goal. Another save.

Steven takes the ice with his linemates now and meets up with Galchenyuk after the puck is dropped and the play gets under way. "Look Chucky, you gotta help us out more here."

"I'm doing the best that I can. Hold up a second," Galchenyuk says and cross-checks Steven close to the boards on the opposite side of the benches. Steven looks at him perplexed and a little perturbed. "Now swat at me with your stick."

"What was that for and what?"

"Just do it!" Galchenyuk snaps at him.

"Okay..." Steven swings his stick at Galchenyuk, who skates off.

"I'm sorry Stammer, I'll explain later."

Steven growls as the Habs enter the Lightning's defensive zone and David Desharnais takes a shot. The puck rebounds with the Canadiens keeping the puck in the zone and creating chance after chance. The captain of the Lightning realizes what is going on and he zooms to help out. "NOO!! CHUCKY!!"

Galchenyuk looks with sympathy at Steven and one-times a pass back to Desharnais, who finds a wide open slot on the ice and aims for the net. 1-0 Montreal.

Steven skids to a halt in place, as the Montreal players celebrate. Nikita skates over, shaking.

"S-S-St-Stammer," Nikita stammers. "Why Montreal score?"

"Because...Because we're not trying hard enough Kuch!" Steven snaps. "We can't sit back and break down in our coverage. We need to attack. We need more pucks on net and we can NOT rely on Chucky to save us. Chucky is a Hab, he's gonna play for his team, no matter how much he hates it."

Nikita nods and they take to the bench once more. The game carries on as the Habs pour on more offensive chances and take more shots, at one point causing Jonathan Marchessault to block a shot and temporarily go down on the ice. The play is halted as Marchessault scrambles to his feet in pain.

"I'm good, I'm good," Marchessault says, skating back to the bench. "What is wrong with us? We need Vladdy?"

"We don't need Vladdy, I got this guys! Victor, I'm not gonna EVER take Stralsy's spot, but it's time I helped this team out," Carle states before he hops on the ice with Victor and heads to his spot.

Victor rolls his eyes. "Stralsy come back, man. It's gonna be a LONG end to the season."

As the period resumes, Matt Carle blocks shots and even takes shots on goal and plays out of his mind well. Plekanec gets frustrated at the sudden surge by the Lightning and whacks Marchessault across the legs and then a little while later trips him up. Marchessault, flustered, keeps his cool, only managing to swat his stick at Plekanec and give him a few words before returning to the bench.

As the clock winds down to 2:19 left in the first, Greg Pateryn receives a hooking penalty and heads to the box. He mouths off to the refs like a typical Montreal Canadien player, while the Lightning get set for a powerplay. Maybe it is just what they need.

With nothing happening for the Lightning on the powerplay, the end of first period comes and the Lightning quickly exit to the locker room.

During the intermission, the fans, including Evelyna and Dani are treated to three videos on the JumboTron, the first one is a questionnaire that asks, 'Which Bolt player was the one to score his first goal and assist against the Montreal Canadiens?' The answer choices are between TJ, Ondrej and Vladdy.

"It's definitely Vladdy, Dani. That's too easy."

"Yeah."

The JumboTron fades to a 'Homecoming' video, which is about Vladdy and where he is from. And then launches into a short personality video that asks the question, 'Which Bolt is most gullible and easily picked on?' All of the Bolts fans still in their seats, including the two girls standing, laugh as Boyle says JT, Coburn says Sustr, JT says Nikita Kucherov, TJ and Nikita Nesterov, TJ says Nikita Kucherov and Vladdy says TJ and Nikita Kucherov.

Evelyna tucks Yzerchuk under her arm so she can clap her hands in excitement as she remarks, "It's like Vladdy night or something!? I wonder where that kid even is and how he's doing."

Dani nods. "Chucky never found him, so who knows..."

"He's not dead, can't be knowing him. If anything he's most likely locked in a fierce battle with Gallagher."