#you score on one more powerplay.

[cornerihaunt]

oh. ohhhhhhhh. okay. okay. well. at least it’s not detroit.

[withwritersblock]

Light my Love

~Light My Love by Greta Van Fleet~

Author's Note: requested! plus size reader :)) Summary: Quinn comforts Y/N after her Instagram comments start to get to her Warnings: negative language towards plus size, swearing Word Count: 2,172 Quinn Hughes x plus size fm!reader

Quinn and Y/N have been together since his sophomore year at UMich. They met at one of the football games where he has always said it was love at first sight. Well, at least on his part. She stood in front of him in the student section, and she turned around for only a moment and their eyes connected. It was safe to say, Quinn fell hard. 

A smile instantly came onto his lips once he met her gaze, she shyly turned around as she’s never had someone look at her like that. With so much admiration from the moment they met each other’s gaze.

Quinn didn’t hide his attraction to her, he kept tapping her shoulder to talk to her. Needing to know more about the mystery girl in front of him. His friends were shocked to say the least, he was never someone who went out of his way to talk to a girl. He was always paranoid that photos would be taken and he would seem like a flirt or a creep. 

But this girl was different, her smile was genuine, her eyes were bright and squinted so slightly every time he said something dumb. She was funny and competitive and so supportive of him and his dreams. Even though she was a die hard football fan, she was willing to learn hockey to support him. Long distance was almost impossible, if she didn’t fly to Vancouver nearly every weekend to spend time with him. 

It was safe to say that he was madly in love with her. 

It took a long time for Y/N to realize that he was in love. She was bigger, always has been. It was rare for a guy to even give her a second look, let alone pursue her the way Quinn did. Quinn didn’t notice the way his friends were looking at him that day. They were almost disgusted by the way she looked. Because why would Quinn Hughes go after a fat girl. She knew that’s what they were thinking.

But after they started dating, the boys didn’t say or act like it mattered. She was just Quinn’s girlfriend and she was content with that.

Quinn never shied away from his love towards her. He was never big on PDA, but he was never afraid to touch her or hold her in public. But behind closed doors, he was a romantic and he always has to be laying with her or cuddling with her.

Tonight was no different. Quinn had his head on her chest as he was half-asleep watching his brothers’ game. She was busy, scrolling through her Instagram comments. For the first time in their relationship, she unprivated her account. Which quickly led to a flood of comments about her appearance and how she wasn’t close to being good enough for Quinn.

The comments progressively got worse as the days gone on. She started deleting old photos, any photos that seemed to get in an influx of horrible comments. She knew that she wasn’t good enough for him. It was obvious but she never made her insecurities his problem.

There was never a moment she didn’t feel loved by him but she always felt that she never deserved it. 

“Baby,” he mumbled as he ran his hands up and down her sides as he slowly opened his eyes. “What’s the score?” he muttered. She giggled softly.

“Still 0-0,” she muttered as she ran her fingers through his hair. He hummed as he slowly began to drift back into sleep, “Let’s just go to bed,” she said as she slowly ran her fingers through his hair once more.

“N-no, I’m watching this, I swear,” he said lifting his head slightly as he switched his gaze towards the TV. 

“You sure?” she teased.

He hummed as he forced his gaze open, “What are you watching?” he asked, nudging the phone that was rested on his back. She quickly shut the phone off and placed it on top of the couch. 

“Just some TikTok videos,” she lied as she shifted her gaze towards the TV screen, watching the Devils powerplay get to work. He hummed as he lifted his head, looking down towards her. For a while she wouldn’t look at him, he frowned as he took a hold of her chin, forcing her gaze towards him. 

“You alright?” he asked quietly as he scanned her features. She nodded her head and he continued to scan her face. “Okay,” he let out softly before he leaned towards her and delicately kissed her for a few seconds before he rested his head onto her chest again. His eyes widened as he watched Luke wrist a shot towards the net.

“Baby, I think I’m gonna head to bed,” she mumbled as she ran her hand up and down his back. He lifted his head up again, staring down towards her. 

“O-okay,” he mutter, grunting as he slowly climbed off of her, standing above her. Quinn held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. She gladly accepted it as she slowly got up from the couch. “Come on, love,” he said as he leaned down and took a hold of the TV remote and turned off the game. 

~~~

For the past few days the comments have gotten worse and harder to ignore. Every comment was about her appearance, all of it was about how Quinn was too good for her. She was pulling away from Quinn, which was easy because he was on a roadie. She kept avoiding his calls, for different reasons. 

It wasn’t completely unusual for them to have a lack of communication with him being gone. But it was usually Quinn unable to call her back. She would always text him the automated, can’t talk right now. 

For the fourth time today, Quinn held his phone against his ear hearing the phone ring and ring. He clenched his jaw as he tilted his head back. Tonight was their last game for the roadtrip so he’ll be coming back home to see her. 

“Shit,” he pulled the phone away from his ear as he stared towards their messages to see another can’t talk right now. 

“She still dodging your calls?” Brock asked as he glanced towards the camera several feet ahead of him. Quinn took in a sharp breath as he hummed, “What did you do?” Brock asked, smirking slightly. Quinn shook his head, while tilting his head back. 

“I’m trying to think of something I did but I literally cannot think of anything,” he countered while shaking his head.

“You think she did something? Maybe she just doesn’t want to talk to you,” Brock offered as he glanced towards the camera. Quinn kept his head low as he kept his eyes on his shoes. He clenched his jaw as he took in a sharp breath.

“You think she cheated on me?” he asked quietly, his heart began pounding hard against his chest. His breathing began to quicken. “She wouldn’t do that, would she? I mean she wouldn’t move to Vancouver with me if she was just gonna ch-”

“Okay, okay I don’t think she would cheat on you, that’s not what I was implying. Let’s not implode?” Brock offered, smacking his hand against his shoulder. 

“Right, right, okay, I’m gonna call her again,” he mumbled as he walked ahead of Brock, to get a moment of privacy. “C’mon baby,” he said as it continued to ring and ring. It took several seconds before she answered, she didn’t talk at first. “Y/N, baby?” he let out as he glanced towards another camera, this time it was the camera for the broadcast. 

“I’m sorry, I’ve been super all over the place. I love you, have a great game and I’ll be watching as always,” she explained, her voice was hoarse.

“It’s okay, I didn’t realize you had so many plans? I just missed hearing your voice,” he mumbled glancing towards the other players that were heading towards the locker room. He chuckled dryly as she took a sudden breath on her end of the phone.

“I-I miss your voice too,” she muttered sadly. Quinn could tell by the way she was talking that something was bothering her. “You’ll do great tonight, I love you so much,” she mumbled.

He smiled softly, shutting his eyes slightly, “I love you too, I’ll be home soon. You’ll be watching though right?” he asked shyly. He’s convinced that he does bad anytime she’s not watching him play.

“I’ll be watching,” she reassured, an evident smile on her lips from the tone in her voice. He chuckled softly. 

“Okay, I-uh-I gotta go,” he muttered waiting to hear a reply but nothing. She ended the call without saying anything. He pulled the phone away from his ear, he stared towards the contact photo. It was a picture of them, only a few weeks back. She was smiling so big as he was kissing her cheek. He’s missed that smile. 

“Is she alright?” Brock asked as he walked slowly towards Quinn. 

“No,” he muttered as he walked passed him towards the locker room, hoping time would move by faster. He needed to get home for her.

Brock pressed his lips together nodding slightly before he followed after Quinn.

~~~

They won the game, 6-2, and Quinn finally returned home. He stepped into the apartment, turning the corner to see Y/N sitting on the couch. She pulled her gaze from her phone suddenly. Quinn met her gaze, he smiled widely. Usually, she would return the smile but nothing was there. 

“How was the flight?” she asked, her voice was scratchy as she dropped her gaze to her lap. He furrowed his eyebrows, leaving his suitcase near the front door as he walked towards her. 

He stood behind the couch, leaning towards her. His lips were near her ear, “What’s wrong?” he asked softly before he pressed his lips to her cheek. 

She didn’t respond, she kept her gaze on her phone screen. Quinn shifted his gaze down towards her phone, noticing Instagram comments were on her screen. He read the first one, that mentioned his name and his chest began to feel heavy. 

“What the hell,” he muttered reaching for her phone.

“Quinn-don’t,” she mumbled as she turned her phone screen off. He shook his head as he stepped back a few steps, pulling out his own phone, “Quinn, I said don’t,” she mumbled as she stood up from the couch. 

“How long have these been on your posts?” he asked as he began scrolling through the awful messages. 

“It doesn’t matter,” she muttered crossing her arms over her chest.

“It matters! You know what they’re saying isn’t true right?” he let out shoving his phone into his pocket. She clenched her jaw as she lowered her gaze to the floor. “Baby,” he mumbled as he stepped towards her, he rested his hands onto her cheeks. Looking deeply into her eyes. 

She pulled away from him. “You know every person that sees us together has those thoughts going through their minds,” she let out, a sob leaving her throat. 

“What thoughts?” Quinn argued back.

“That you deserve someone else! Not a girl who’s twice your size or a girl who can’t wear your jersey or-”

“You know I don’t care about that stuff! I love every inch of you,” he expressed as he stepped towards her. She shook her head as she stepped back. 

“I mean seriously, Quinn, you don’t look at the girls throwing themselves at you on the glass and think how easy it would be for you two to be together? You won’t get embarrassed for being with the fat girl!” 

“I am in love with you! I look at you and see the most beautiful girl in the world, why do you care what these jealous girls think?” he questioned reaching towards her again, he rested his hands on her waist, pulling her towards him.

“I’ve always cared what they think!”

“You should only care about what I think!” he expressed, he raised his hands up and took a hold of her cheeks. He stared into her eyes, “Because I think you’re absolutely stunning, the most perfect girl in the world. You make me happy, you make me feel loved. I don’t ever want you to feel anything less than beautiful and perfect, okay?” 

“It’s hard when the entire hockey world hates me,” she mumbled as she looked into his eyes deeply. He pulled her towards him, kissing her deeply. 

“They don’t hate you, they’re jealous that we are so happy,” he mumbled against her lips. 

“Quinn,” she mumbled. 

“Come on, let me show you how much I love you,” he said before he pressed his lips against hers for a few seconds. “And we’re turning your comments off, you’re not allowed to read those awful lies, okay?” he said as he scanned her face. She nodded slightly. 

“Okay,” she let out softly.

[sportsthoughts]

I am sick of Yohe's misery and spent five minutes thinking I wish I had ten nice things to read this morning before realising I could write them myself:

Jarry - who, let's not pretend otherwise, is not my favourite goalie in the NHL - was fantastic at lots of points especially at the start of the game (let's not talk about the bit where he wandered off at the end, we've all gone rouge at the end of a night out haven't we, let's not be judgemental). Do I know what makes a goalie fantastic? Not really. But he made lots of saves and there were many points where I thought we were done for but he came through. He really really tried and God loves a trier and it's also really nice that Ned got a bit of a break. Being a goalie for a special team like ours must be tiring

Nostril boy scored a great goal which is an enormous feat considering he was skating on a line with a Drew O'Connor who's shaved head looks so bad it would frankly throw anyone off their game. I wonder if Sid will now declare the baldness unlucky and send him to Geno's hair man

On that point - Doc admitted that his hair looks terrible - which, yes, I know that isn't exactly a win from a hockey perspective but it's a man showing self awareness which is a rare win for humanity and not to be overlooked. I think Yohe could actually really spice up his journalism by writing a piece on our hair to win ratio

Sid's assist on Raks' goal was gorgeous. Gorgeous!! It wasn't goal 600 but it was a point and a beautiful one AND we got to see him smile

Our powerplay wasn't horrific. Our PK wasn't horrific. At points they looked good! I didn't feel sick watching either and the dash managed to stay mostly sane!

All our young guys were pretty good! And hey!! We have young guys!! Young guys playing on our team!! Let us not be ungrateful for what we have. Do I squint at their numbers on my grainy livestream and say who is that? What line is that? Where did you come from? Yes, but change is sometimes good and they lower our average age by like ten years

Geno showed so much energy towards the end of the game. I know he didn't do much but my gosh he really tried! He clearly had the legs. I don't like to dwell on it but at some points last season he just looked slow and tired not quite there and last night he looked hungry for it! He's been so great this season. I could make a point about the motivational powers of the stache here but i'm not Rossi so i'll leave the RPF to those better qualified

Also, Geno's line started the game! We rarely get to see him being broody on the ice during the anthems so that was a lovely treat.

For my fellow stachefuckers, the sidstache (and rustache and others) are all going strong. How long will they survive? I'm not sure. But we've made it 20 days with our beautiful slugs intact and that's so much better than last year. We have so many pictures! So many gifs. So many clips of the stache being discussed! Movember 2024 has not disappointed

Finally, it was a Hockey Fights Cancer night! There were some lovely stories and it was so moving to see survivors celebrating at the game. I think this is where Sid would say something nice about hockey being more than a game and having the power to unite people and include them in a community and give hope and inspire and and and. So insert that here. I think he's right.

[mp0625]

Game Time

Taglist. Masterlist.

Matthew Tkachuk x Reader

Word count: 1.3k

A/N: LETS GO BOYS!!! I started writing this about four hours ago! Aaaaaaa!!! I finished it just in time!!

A/N pt 2: If y’all want another part let me know!!

“Are you going to the game?”

“Yeah, are you going to the game??”

“Why aren't you at the game? It starts in 10.” The chat on your stream starting to go crazy realizing that you were not going to be at the game to support your boyfriend.

“Hey y’all take a breath.” You say pausing your game mid lap to the protests of your friends who were forced to pause. “Yes, I’m not in Florida, I’m home in Carolina, but Matty understands why I can’t be there.” Panning the camera down to show your two big dogs and then back up. “But I have the next best thing.” You say flipping the camera to show your big Tv and the preshow for game one on. “I haven’t been super into hockey since we got booted in the second round, Matthew understands it and I support him and his team 110 percent to bring home that cup.”

As the minutes ticked down and the game started you had all but abandoned your game and friends. You occasionally said a few words to your stream but your full attention was on the screen behind your computer monitors. As Bobrovsky makes more and more saves, your quiet chanting of Bobby gets louder and louder. When halfway through the second when a fight breaks out your chanting of Bobby changes to “Fight! Fight! Fight!” You turn back to your stream and look at them dead in the camera. “What I’m technically not allowed to fight in games doesn’t mean I can’t tell someone to sock someone else in the face.” You say with a grin. During the second intermission you see a question pop up.

“How do you feel about Necas winning Men’s World?”

“I’m absolutely ecstatic for him! How we lost to the Rangers wasn’t fun, so I’m happy that he got to go win something that big.” As you watch the opening faceoff for the third period, you start to have hope that Matty can do what he and his team tried to accomplish last year. As the minutes tick down Bobby and his boys did it to shut out the Edmonton Oilers.

At your morning phone call with Matthew. He asks. “Y/N why in the hell did you have a 7 hour stream last night.”

“It was my version of a live blog and we had already been streaming for 4 hours before the game and they asked why I wasn’t at the game cheering you on so I showed them I had the Tv on.”

“Y’all ready for game 2? You ask the stream as you finish tidying up the room waiting for the game to start. Nothing major happens in the first half of the first period. When halfway through Edmonton gets the first goal. “Come on!!” It takes until the second half of the second to have Florida score. “Thank you Mr. Mikkola!” As you wait for the third you make the mistake of saying it’s been a slow game. 3 minutes into the third Rodrigues gets the goal that puts them ahead of the Oilers. Then 9 minutes later on the powerplay he gets another goal to make it 3 to 1. “I love you EROD!!” The last goal of the game came with 3 minutes left from Ekblad. At the end of the game you sit back in your chair with a big sigh. “That was a very stressful game. See y’all in 2 days.”

“It’s game 3 and I don’t know how I feel about this, it feels like it’s going too smoothly. We will see how this goes.” The game starts out slow. It takes until 2 minutes left in the first for someone to score first. “Thank you Mr. Reinheart!!!” A minute into the second Edmonton gets the goal and is starting to push back. But Florida retaliates 8 minutes later with Mr. Tarasenko put them back up one. Then 4 minutes later with 2 back to back goals to bring them up 4 to 1. “Thank you!!!!! One more period left we got this!” 6 minutes into the third Edmonton pushes back to make 4 to 2. “Come on!! That was stupid.” 8 minutes later Edmonton pushes back again to make it 4 to 3. “That was a scary close game, I’m slightly scared for game 4.”

“Welcome back to your favorite hockey player and streamer live blog of the Stanley cup finals. Will the Panthers be able to sweep the Edmonton Oilers? We will see tonight! The Florida Panther’s are the visiting team to Edmonton Oilers home Arena Rogers Place. We will see if the boys can do it tonight!” You say turning on your camera so the viewers can see your Panthers jersey. “The Tv is on and it is time.” As the first period rolls by with no penalties or goals. As the second is starting, you whisper under your breath. “Come on Matty!” At the opening face off the puck goes straight to Matthew and he starts going down the ice as hard as he can. “Brakeaway! Brakeaway! Brakeaway!” As Matthew makes it to the net with the puck in hand Skinner is readying himself but where he thinks Matthew is he isn’t, and he gets the first goal of the game. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank everything!” You sit back in your gaming chair with a sigh. “Elle.” You call to the chocolate lab that is dead asleep in her bed unaware of what just happened. “Your daddy just got a goal!” Hearing her daddy’s name she starts wagging her tail. The first goal is the one that broke the dam. Matthew drew a penalty on Draisaitl which gave the Panthers the power play they need to get the next goal by their captain, the one Aleksander Barkow. “Barky!” When back at even strength they lose the puck in the Panthers zone and no one sees it slid in behind Bobrovsky. “Oh come on you got to be kidding me!” As time runs out on the clock for the second. You take a sip of your drink and sigh. “That was an interesting period, at least we are leading!” As you wait anxiously for the third to start, you see messages of excitement and hope roll across the stream’s chat.

“They got this!”

“I believe in them!”

“They do have this! Let’s go boys!” You end with a shout. At the start of the third you are nervous they could sweep or lose and win it at home. Five minutes into the third. A one mister Evan Rodrigues get not one but two goals back to back within 30 seconds of each other. “Yesss, EROD!!!” After the second goal, the fourth of the game you could tell Skinner was super rattled. You knew as time ticked down you knew the win was imminent. With 10 seconds left in one last ditch try the Oilers pull Skinner and send out Conner McDavid as he’s skating and picks up the puck he slams it back and it just slips in over Bobrovsky shoulder. “Come on!” You stand up and slam your hands on your desk. But the Oiler last ditch effort wasn’t enough to stop the Panthers as the final few seconds tick off, the boys start gathering. They did it the first cup in 30 years of the team and what they worked so hard for and almost touched last year. “Yessssss!! Thank you!!” You scream and jump up from your chair. “Sorry to leave so quickly, but there are a few people I need to call.” You pull out your phone and Text Matty. “YOU DID IT I'M SO SO PROUD OF YOU!!! WE ALL ARE!!” As you send it you include a picture of you, Elle, and Jet.

Taglist: @studioreader @honethatty12

@slafgoalskybaby @swissboyhisch

@wondershells @cixrosie

There might be a few I’m forgetting to tag

[pumpkinrootbeer]

If you could change any 3 NHL rules right now, no matter the repercussions, what would they be?

HMM!!

So first I'm changing goalie interference, give us clear rules on that. IDC if it's "if ur in the crease, goalie interference" or just a flat "you just can't touch the goalie and that's the only thing that counts as interference" it's just got to be CLEAR. instead of every night feeling like the rules change based on what mood the refs in. It's got to be consistent

Second, I really like the jailbreak rule from the PWHL!!! If the other team scores a shorty, powerplay OVER!! So fun and I think it keeps the game moving more.

And hmm a third rule to change... Fun silly one is no more icing in OT. LET THOSE BABIES FLY! a serious rule I would like a change on is if someone has a no trade clause in their contract the front office shouldn't be able to just threaten them with waivers and get to make the trade anyway😐

[1-800-iluvhockey]

it's never over - l.hughes

----

2:22 seconds remained on the clock, the third period is headed to the end. heart is racing, nerves and stakes are too high. every michigan fan is on the edge of their seat; they know that their team can do this, y/n knows that luke can do it. holding onto her hand tightly, ellen watches with y/n as luke skates down the ice trying everything he can to block shots.

"cmon, I know you got it in you. michigan magic." y/n whispers, ellen's hand grips tighter when she sees the shot go in, the shot that luke barely missed. now it's 4-2, and only about 1:45 left. a commercial break pauses the game but doesn't break the tension on the ice.

"ellen---" y/n says in almost a whisper as they see luke skate back to the bench, trashcan in hand, head covered. "it's okay, he is doing it because he is nervous, probably didn't drink enough water -- that boy." ellen reassures y/n as she watches her boyfriend struggle through this third period.

"yeah, it is just hard watching it. nothing that I can do but sit here and ---" y/n's voice wavers and ellen brings her closer.

"it's okay honey, you're here and this is what matters. family matters, every hockey player wants their family in the stands to make them proud. luke needs you, he needs us here for him. you sitting here is doing more than enough for him. look." ellen calmed y/n as she got her attention back to the ice.

her boyfriend skates to the faceoff, looking up in the crowd for a split moment to try and find her. she waves, and he nods -- a short and sweet moment, just enough to know that she is there for him and that he knows she is right there when she needs him.

the music signals that the break is ending and the puck is to be in play, and all the emotions are back again.

----

luke knows how this goes, as he has been here before in this exact game spot, the year before. he knows the heartbreak, the struggle, the grief he is going to endure in the next few minutes when he hears that buzzer.

but two things were different this year; it was the end but it was truly the beginning --- because it is never over. y/n's sweet voice plays in his head as he gets ready to face off, he thinks of her singing this song in his car, praising (screaming obnoxiously to the classic rock) of her favorite jeff buckley song --- lover, you should've come over. he imagines her voice saying "it's never over" in his head, as he has done the whole game to keep him going.

in reality, after that buzzer hits -- his time at umich is over; but his hockey career is truly beginning. so yes, the grief and sadness he is probably going to endure after this whistle blows will be one of the hardest things of his life --- but it is different; he has his y/n to lean on. 

----

the whistle blows and the remaining seconds of the period play out; ports is out of the goal, and michigan does everything they can to stop quinnipiac from scoring an empty netter. a player steals the puck back which causes luke to go after him, eddy gets in net ready to play makeshift goalie. y/n's breath hitches as she knows that the quinnipiac player will score as luke hooks him and eddy has an opening.

boom.

5-2 quinnipiac, nail in the metaphorical hockey coffin. a sigh comes from jim as he sees luke talking with the ref, defeated. luke got a penalty for hooking, meaning quinnipiac was on a powerplay for the rest of the game. he looked defeated while entering the penalty box, which caused jim, ellen & y/n to look at each other, knowing how their boy was going to really feel.

"I made a bet with jack that he wouldn't break his stick this year -- let's hope I win." y/n kindheartedly joked as jim laughed. "that penalty might have set him off so I wouldn't be surprised if jack won the bet, y/n."

"I have faith that he won't beat himself up too badly this year, he has a pretty amazing girl to lean on and now a new career start. y/n?" ellen questions at the end, causing y/n to get confused. "yes?"

"you're ready for jersey right?" ellen asked as y/n looks at her like she has grown 3 heads.

"ellen, I am not going with him --- no way." she says questionably. her and luke talked about it but it was never a plan.

"y/n, you two have known each other for years, I know that you guys finally started dating last year -- but I know luke wants you in jersey." ellen tells her as jim agrees.

----

the buzzer goes off which causes the conversation to be dropped as everyone rises out of their seats. half of the arena is full of cheerful quinnipiac and minnesota fans -- while the others are in denial about their seasons ending.

making their way to the locker room, y/n gets a glimpse of dylan, mackie and luke on the ice. defeat, just a look of sadness and shock on their faces. dylan looks and sees y/n in the tunnel, and just shakes his head. y/n reciprocates it but in a more "you did your best" type of head nod.

y/n and some of the families watched from the tunnel as the boys shook hands with each other. the boys led themselves back to the locker room, feeling the pain of the national title slip from their fingers once again. one of the last players off of michigan's side of the ice was indeed, a deflated luke hughes.

----

walking with his head down, helmet in hand --- luke couldn't even see who was waiting for him as he headed to the locker room. he just went to her, he could smell her perfume from a mile away. she opened her arms to her as he buried his neck into her shoulder. he didn't care who saw, he never did. he just cried, letting out the defeat into y/n's shoulder.

"it's never over baby, you still got a whole career left. I am so proud of you." y/n whispered into his neck as he nodded. his arms held her tighter as the shock factor went away. he was done with college hockey.

college hockey brought him some of his best friends/teammates and gave him the courage to finally ask y/n out on a date. without college hockey, he wouldn't be who he was today, and that's why his emotions are even higher than he would have thought.

after a few minutes, he pulled away and got a good look at his girl. his beautiful girlfriend was wearing his favorite maize jersey, looking like a total angel in this moment. she looked like she cried a few minutes ago, giving her the extra glowy effect. he was too lucky to have the best family, girlfriend, and career he could have.

grabbing her hands, he put them on his shoulders. "y/n, will you come with me? to new jersey?" he asked her softly as he watched as her eyes pooled with tears. she turns to look behind her, to find his parents looking at her, ellen nods and then she turns to him.

"always, wherever you go --- I want to come with you. I love you." she says, kissing him softly.

"good, I was hoping you didn't say no." luke says as they walk over to his parents, hand in hand.

he wasn't okay, but he knew that the grief was temporary.

michigan would always be there for him. it is home, well, a home. home was really where y/n was. all he wanted was to be with her and play hockey, but those michigan memories will be with him; those were the forever type of memories. as the university of michigan, yost arena, hockey house, and all of those friends, teammates, and memories were going to last forever. he also couldn't forget about those michigan summers, those summers on the lake with his friends and family are going to be something he can't wait for in the off-season.

forever type of memories.

they would never go away; even if it was over.

[chirpingfromthebox]

The Frost's Post-game Press Session from 1/2/2024 - BOS at MIN

The Minnesota Frost's post-game press session after their home game with the Boston Fleet on Thu, January 2nd, 2024.

At the table were head coach Ken Klee, and forwards Brooke Bryant and Britta Curl-Salemme.

Transcription is under the break.

[But I didn't bother transcribing one of them, because I don't feel like it, and I don't get paid.]

[Video starts with Ken Klee answering an unknown question.]

KEN KLEE:

Yeah, it’s tough, I mean, obviously we’re- we’ve got players dropping quickly. But I’m proud of our group for finding a way to win. I mean, would have liked to, obviously, had it be the 3 points in regulation, but Boston’s a good team. They’re gonna keep fighting until the end and they did. Luckily we were able to battle it out in overtime and Britta [Curl-Salemme] obviously scored a big goal for us.

Reporter:

What are the official updates? Maddie [Rooney], Taylor Heise, and Grace [Zumwinkle] was during the game.

KEN KLEE:

Yep, so those three are- Well, I know two of them were sick. Then Zummie got hurt so she’s gonna see a doctor tomorrow morning and we’ll see the extent of it. But the other two are just sick. Our team has been battling it. First practice back from Christmas we were missing 7 players and it’s kind of working its way through.

…

Reporter:

And Claire [Thompson] made a great play to set it up.

KEN KLEE:

Yeah, it was a great [???] body by Claire Thompson. I mean, she’s a good defender. When she wants to defend she can do a good job with it. So it’s a really good play by her. Then obviously then up to Kendall [Coyne-Schofield], then Kendall finding Britta to give her some room to be able to make a play.

[I mean, I would hope Thompson was a good defender considering that's her position!]

Reporter:

The powerplays, ended up, I think, 1 for 5. But it- that 1 kind of was the- I know last game you said you wanted to get some more opportunities, was it nice to finally see you cash in tonight with all those chances to not, kind of, go over?

KEN KLEE:

For sure. Just trying to be simple. When we get pucks to the net, good things happen. And it was just a nice shot by Claire and, you know, Brooke McQuigge is right there ready to put in the rebound. So it was a really nice play.

Reporter:

Brooke [Bryant], do you feel like the team, you guys, came into this game knowing that you were going to grind it out with so many players missing?

BROOKE BRYANT:

Yeah, definitely, I think anytime we play Boston we know it’s going to be a physical game. And it’s gonna be all three periods we have to fight through. Sometimes extra [smiles]. But yeah, I think we knew what we were getting into and it was just a matter of fighting through and pushing for each other.

Reporter:

Guys, this virus or whatever it was, just sort of run through the team?

KEN KLEE:

I don’t know. We went on Christmas break we were- well, we had lost two players to injury, but everybody else was pretty much healthy. But then- it’s hard to say. Everyone went their own way and we had players popping up sick like crazy. I know some of them are still battling it, they’re still hard coughing on the bench and all that sort of thing. I think it’s just sort of going through right now and hopefully we can keep getting better.

Reporter:

And you said Grace was hurt?

KEN KLEE:

Yeah, Zum hurt herself. She got hurt in the first period and then went off and, like I said, she’s gonna see a doctor tomorrow and hopefully we’ll have a better evaluation of how long she’s gonna be out for.

[End of Video.]

[scoringeffects]

my favorite is probably Marchand/bergeron, because it’s so so loving but also they’re like crazy hot for each other? Love a long term relationship where the couple still can’t stop touching each other!

but also I will say my eyes have been opened recently to Nate + Cale and mmmmm yeah I’m into it, I see it, I see the vision. Sometimes a shy twink needs a fridge with a gorgeous nose to pin him down and I think that’s beautiful

there's a very recent bereron/marchand fic thats so SO damn good and another one i read recently that did the blurry lines thing so damn well theyre such a good vehicle for that kind of relationship to me where they know they mean so much to eachtoerh. but what if. desperately wish there was more AND NATECALEEEEE oughhhh natecale. big big fan of them desperately wish more people made cale less shy/insecure. maybe give nate some insecurities..? maybe give them some hm. youre hot and i want to kiss you and sneak into your room on roadtrips and kiss you in your stupid gwagon but i dont know if its a good idea for us to be in a relationship, right? because gabe's out and we're the leaders of the room for now w mikko and we dont want to mess that up. right? and i like him so much, and i'd keep the parts of him i get (sneaking into eachother rooms like theyre teenagers, crashing into him after scoring on the powerplay, kissing down his happy trail and watching his thighs shiver) than push for more and risk losing it all and risk it blowing up in our faces.

hrpf. ?

[toffoliravioli]

ok serious talk time; things I noticed/what went wrong (bare with me it’s a long one) let’s discuss

if I was the coach of the devils I would be focusing on these points:

the devils were very much trying to match the rangers physically and it’s been biting them in the ass. they’ve been hitting more yes but what does hitting do? It slows you down. And what’s the devils strong suit? They’re fast. They work on speed and skill. they need to stop trying to play the rangers game/style. It’s like they’re playing this “see what they do then respond” game. How about not focusing on them and worry about what you’ve been so good at. Play your own game, that’s how you went 3/4 on them in the regular season. Literally there was no need to be physical bcuz your speed worked in your favor.

Another thing. For the love of all that is holy stop leaving Christopher “powerplay merchant” Kreider alone in front of the net. Don’t leave anyone alone for that matter. Are you dumb or are you stupid. He’s had to score on you 4 times in two games for you to figure this out? He’s literally the perfect example of a net front presence and you leave him ALONE EVERY. TIME. What the actual fuck are you doing, you’re better than that. If anything our pk has always been better than our powerplay so what are y’all doing.

Along the lines of the pk and penalties; how about you stay out of the box? Idk why that’s such a hard task but literally stop. Frustration is a mood killer. You get frustrated and then your stick ends up in the face of a rangers player or you end up hooking them, now you’re in the box oh no, instant rangers goal.

veterans need to step up. doesn’t necessarily have to be on the scoresheet but I want to know what’s being said between periods. I’m hoping you are not going into the locker rooms crying, feeling sorry about yourselves. Remember when the leafs had that sucky game against tampa last year and then spezza gave a speech before the third period and then they went out and won. yeah now give me that with palat or Haula or smith who apparently is such a great locker room presence. EVEN NICO WOULD BE A GOOD SPEAKER. He’s young but he’s the captain for a reason.

head macho man himself lindy ruff; sigh. ok I have many things to say but I’ll keep it simple. this fucking blender-made lines is ridiculous. Enough is enough. You tried every possible line combination and it’s throwing the entire team off. Chemistry will never be made if you can’t stick to one set of lines. Here’s my line suggestions:

Meier-Hischier-Mercer

Palat-Hughes-Bratt

Tatar-Haula-Boqvist

Shara-McLeod-Bastian or Lazar

Siegs-Dougie

Graves-Marino

Hughes-Bahl

Schmid

Vanecek

and last but not least, the dreaded powerplay. what can we even say that hasn’t already been said. shoot the puck more, stop passing something something something. you have some of the best scorers on your top line and all they do is play pass the potato with the puck. who scored tonight? Haula. A second pp unit player. Your second unit is out showing your first, make it make sense. Completely unacceptable. You have to shoot, when y’all try and set up the perfect shot you’re literally giving Igor all the time in the world to set up. We need those ugly goals, the ones he doesn’t see coming.

In conclusion I’d be a much better coach than Lindy, Fitzy this is my official job application, pls take my notes into consideration thank you very much have a lovely night have a cookie 🍪

[martyrbat]

every few days i see hockey(?) liveblogs from you (I enjoy the enthusiasm even if i have no idea whats going on). What are the main teams you're following? is it just hockey?

this is so sweet, thank you for the support even if youre a little lost! it is just hockey! but i got plans to get into baseball when it starts in february (go pirates and cubs!) but a little too wordy vomit under the cut about my teams :)

my top team is pittsburgh penguins. for better or worse (and usually worse)—i will be there for every game and saying we're so back after one score when we're down by 5. i will defend them until my last breath, theyre the team ill always put on when having to choose between which ones are currently on. its not a hockey team, its sidney crosby building an ice family with his 5 and counting partners and being known for his banana bread and kind heart and fat ass while literally being the inspiration for over half the players in the nhl because hes been wonderful since he was a rookie. its 18 years of love and friendship despite the odds and how theyre so open in loving and supporting their teammates while hockey culture is filled with toxic masculinity. its the narrative loving and hating us, its sidney being gods most loveable and tortured lamb, its geno whos hilarious and dramatic with a heart of gold, its tanger and his greasy hair, its the babygirlifying grown men AND rooting for the old underdog who are in the 4th spot for the playoffs in their metro area despite our powerplay being a joke and our star players ages (late thirties isnt old by any account but for a high energy physical contact sport?? average retirement is 25-30 instead while 13 of our guys is 30+ and playing some of their best hockey)

after that i really like the leafs despite them being the leafs! theyre a blast to watch (sometimes) and theyre a big third period game, for better or worse. so its always exciting (sometimes unfortunately)! auston matthews is my top favorite from them, hes absolutely remarkable and doesnt get the credit and appreciation he deserves. but i also love the other players, mo, willy, and mitch all especially have a place in my heart :) third fav tosses around with who i can catch a game from most to be honest since a lot of times they overlap too much. im fond of the wild because their goaltender (flower!) was ours for forever. kraken is a blast and has lots of old penguin players too. avalanche is fun to root for when ive seen some games :) im less familiar with all of them but hockey is a fun sport to just throw yourself into and learn as you go so its never been an issue!!

teams i hate is anyone who won against my special guys in the last month tbh HFIFJ but i REALLY hate the chicago team, flyers, and vegas knights. chicago is.... a lot of bad shit off ice and has so many controversies—from their name and jerseys to players being abusive and cover-ups of sexual assault from coaches. just hate them and anytime i see those jerseys and remember theyre allowed while flower was threatened with a lawsuit if he wore his helmet (was designed specially by an indigenous artist to honor flower's indigenous wife and their kids during native american heritage month).... god i just get too pissed, theyre number one for who i despise. flyers are the biggest rivals to the penguins so it makes more sense (but also fuck the capitals and canes for personal grievances. also still mad at the canucks) vegas golden knights just annoys me so much with how theyre still calling themselves the misfits and i associate them with flower leaving so!!!

sorry for the little. word vomit lol but !!! if you ever want to get into hockey, please dm me! im no expert by any means and i know me throwing names out there is intimidating but i promise its fun once you get into it and you dont need to know much to just start watching! for me its great to have something to look forward to every week and watch something happen as it actually happens and liveblog—it kinda feels more like a loose community experience that i never got because of my health issues and disability! its also just fun to be dramatic (screaming its so over when scored on /celebrating a goal) over something thats kinda... not that important. (important for the players and fans ofc but it doesn't change anything in MY daily life outside of how i feel which is refreshing!) sports in general kinda encourage those big emotional responses and it can be great catharsis and silly if you let it be :) and the fan community here can be so welcoming if you just fully ignore twitter and the straight white angry men on it <3

come look at gifs of people calling a 36 year old babygirl and the excitement of a goal celly. come watch funny videos and clips and at how *our* captain wore tiny little shorts and a white shirt to get dunked in a water tank for charity. come and slowly learn how much shit the players put up with as rookies and have the happiness of hindsight at what happiness their futures would hold and why me saying 18 years of love and friendship despite the odds is so big because thats genuinely so rare (only 127 retired players in all of nhl history has accomplished this). come get emotional at poetry over getty images hockey pictures and relish in the delight that is finding art everywhere you go. come see people say that sidney needs to get knotted up and mpreg debates in who will abort that thang or not. take my hand and become a hockey fan, i prommy its not scary—not even during the 'who the fuck is this' stage <33

[3416]

Hey love your blog! I am new to hockey but I’m confused over the coach firing. I understand when there is a pattern, things to change. But when keefe said he didn’t push the team enough to produce results, how much motivating can a coach really do? Doesn’t it still just come down to the players to produce? None of this meant maliciously! I understand this viewpoint can be completely wrong, just trying to learn!

motivation and team culture isn't a coach's only job! they're involved a lot in the specifics and systems the team plays (like where players are positions physically on the ice depending on the situation, 5v5 4v5 pk powerplay etc and all these are different methodologies team to team), and they're involved in the decision making behind the bench, obviously. you watch a game and they're back there choosing how to roll out lines, who is going on what line etc. at the end of the day, keefe knows his time was close to up with this team, and his reasons aren't like the 100% truth why we didn't succeed. at some point, it really doesn't matter how much he would have pushed them or yelled at them or whatever people think needs to be happening, they would've ended up in the same spot.

keefe's systems with the leafs were good for the regular season, but they never saw legitimate playoff success. he coached for almost 5 years here, and has some of the biggest talents the leafs have ever had and wasn't able to get them over the hump. in my opinion, it has a lot to do with him never having the best roster, but i also think the style he coaches doesn't necessarily fit the high end offense we have permanently on our roster. he's a very team-defense minded coach. his favorite players were the ones that can be moved up and down the lineup and often times lack finish but are defensively reliable. our team was reduced to playing a lot of low-scoring grinding games when... we have the best nhl goal scorer and some elite playmaking talent on this team, lol. at the end of the day, there can only be so many tries without success, and his style just wasn't fitting here but he will definitely not have trouble finding a new job! as for the future, i'm mostly worried we're going to hire someone who coaches very similar systems-wise even though that's all we've seen during the marner-matthews era, and the players are going to take more fall for coaching failures.

[sumitava3]

The Kiwiman Daryl Mitchell is gonna be the most crucial player for CSK tonight, he's gonna dictate the terms,the fate of CSK in the game tonight. Replacing a stalwart like Ambati Rayudu at CSK is very tough, he's been a true legend of the league and to fill in the big shoes, he's the most suitable candidate because he bats in the middle order and plays spin, pace both equally well, has the timing game as well as the power game to hit effortless sixes down the ground. The potential is there, the performance has also been there for the Blackcaps. Now it's high time tonight to start replicating those in the CSK colours and repay the huge faith shown towards him, the continuous backing has to reap the Rewards tonight onwards. If he doesn't get going, CSK can't win on flat decks and shouldn't dream of clinching the record sixth title they're running running after. The bowling is the weaker side, and with the uncertainty over the availability of Pathirana, it's evident that you've to score 230+ at least at the Wankhede against this destructive MI batting lineup and Mitchell holds the key for CSK if they wanna reach that score and compete neck to neck, otherwise the game is over in the first innings itself, more so considering a full loaded gun, a magician named Jasprit Bumrah will be charging at you from the MI arsenal. The simple funda is chasing at the Wankhede, and I'd love to see Santner bowling in place of Theekshana if Baby Malinga doesn't turn up on the ground tonight. CSK will be desperate to see their two most vital weapons bowling at the death in tandem to give them some respite and a glimpse of hope against this vintage, clinical and professional MI unit. CSK badly needs Mitchell to fire tonight, he has to come good, come to the party finally, he's had a poor run up till now but they've backed him and will continue because there's no better option than Mitchell at 4, replacing Ambati. Hopefully the big game player will come to the rescue of the yellow army. Mitchell has to play long and big. He's an asset for CSK and will be the most vital wicket for MI to clinch the game in the CSK batting innings to choke them so Expect Hardik to save Boom's overs, bowl him only one in the powerplay and unleash the speedster as soon as Mitchell comes to the crease. You've to utilise your best weapon differently every game depending upon the demands of the particular match, you've to be adaptable and felxible, there's nothing called predetermined in captaincy or cricket. You've to go with your gut feel, and back your instincts, take the onus and make those instant brave calls when it's close calls and the intensity is really creeping on on the ground at the moment and you gotta have a plan B or Plan C, D in the el classico, this is a high pressure game and it's gonna decide mi rising up on the ladder, so the context is very big and with the rich legacy of the two teams, expect an intense battle, a nailbiter on the cards for all of us. You can't comment like I don't mind losing the IPL final to Mahibhai, it's written on the destiny because of the personal camaraderie when you're getting paid a whopping sum for being a professional and a skipper of a team with a rich legacy in the league, to go with. So fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a mouthwatering clash at our hands

[onmytape]

just here to say that i'm rewatching some pg cougars playoff games and realizing how much fun they are to watch...that powerplay??

my people! i'm going to rant, i made some shitty gifs for visuals, i love this stupid team, i'm so glad you're here too

where do i even start? playoffs were soooo fun especially the pg vs tri city series. they were pretty evenly matched and it could’ve gone either way (seattle sweeping pg was boring, sorry 🙄 definitely didn’t need four games of that haha) pg is sooo underrated as an entertaining team! the powerplay especially 👀 i have a whole folder full of clips from round one so maybe i’ll make a top ten moments post but the last game against tri city was wild. if anyone else is reading this, i'd recommended watching the highlights even if you don't care about the cougars. more about this under the cut

and the powerplay. the powerplay. they deserve a post of their own. probably the most exciting aspect of our team this year. i couldn't come up with a better cast of characters. fun fact: last season wheaty didn't have a single powerplay goal. oh how the tables have turned.

i'm expecting next year's pp line to be ziemmer, heidt, and funk and idk about defense. we'll see who's going to replace samson 😥

a shitty analysis of some highlights of game six 😼

the wiebecroft connection 🥺 and after wiebe gets the ot in game two!! i am going to miss this duo so much. also i need to add wheaty's comment about wiebe in the post-game show (direct quote because i recorded it haha): “that guy’s been finding me all series. it’s about time I put one in for him. yeah, he’s so much fun to play with and I kinda knew when we were streaking two on one that he was going to find me and that’s exactly what he did. i’m just happy i got to repay him for all the times he set me up and i haven’t scored.”

A dynamic duo goal! heidt encouraging fans to wave their rally towels 🥺 and then gets buried by his teammates

dubinsky immediately falls after scoring. brown's not going to not celly, even if he has to pile on top of dubinsky to do so. (also dubinsky sidenote: i'm so glad we had him this season. he's gone through so much injury wise. his final post-game interview after the second series was so sad. he sounded so choked. said he just wanted to make it to playoffs in his juniors career and he finally did! even though he didn't get to play his last game 😥)

watching this move live was crazy. my heart was going through it as brown had a perfect chance, flubbed it, managed to pass it to o'brien. the hometown connection!! this was perfect!

"chase wheatcroft sends the cougars to the second round for the first time in sixteen years!"

how can you not love them 🥲 (heidt trying to jump into the celly and falling is very on brand)

[hockeylvr59]

Here With Me Part 13 || Taylor Makar

Author’s Note: Kelsey attends her first UMass hockey game since becoming Taylor's girl and then after moving back to her campus apartment invites Taylor to spend the night for the first time. FC: Marina Laswick (@marooshk on instagram).

Warnings: cursing, teasing, soft sex // Word Count: 3,723

~~~~~~

Twelve

It was a little funny how Kelsey had already been to the Mullins Center more times this year than the last three or four combined. As she settled into a seat she adjusted her jacket over her maroon top and kicked her sneaker laden feet up onto the empty seat in front of her. She knew dating Taylor she was going to have to get used to coming to games more often because even if she hated the men’s game overall, her boyfriend deserved her support. 

UConn took the early lead but the Minutemen tied it up before intermission and Kelsey had a gut feeling that this was going to be a close one. Getting up during intermission she wandered through the arena eventually ending up by the press boxes as the second period started. Spotting Mikey coming back to his seat with the rest of the injured or scratched teammates she waited for him leaning against the railing. 

“T know you’re here tonight?” He asked quietly, aware of potentially prying ears. 

“Nope.” Kelsey replied. “Figured I’d surprise him. You guys heading on the road right after the game?” 

Getting Mikey’s confirmation that they were Kelsey nodded and let him get back to his seat, making her way back to her own. 

The second period had UConn scoring to take the lead and Kelsey sighed knowing how much this constant losing bothered Taylor even if he didn’t talk about it much. When Mercs tied it up in the third she mentally cheered because even was better than down any day. With just under 12 minutes on the clock Taylor drew a penalty and Kelsey couldn’t help but grin because that was much better than taking one. It was even better when the team scored to take the lead on the ensuing power play. 

With eight minutes to go Taylor drew another penalty and after making sure that Taylor was okay after going down awkwardly Kelsey again mentally praised her boyfriend for being on the right end of calls tonight. Snapping a picture of him on the bench during the major review, Kelsey texted it to him stating that ‘being an elite penalty drawer is much better than stupid penalty taker ;)’. 

Though it wasn’t a major it was still a power play and Kelsey’s jaw dropped when with 18 seconds Taylor hopped over the bench and proceeded to immediately get a good scoring opportunity. She knew he had rarely gotten powerplay time all season and gee it was amazing what her boy could actually do with it. 

Seeing him out there for an extended shift at the end of the 3rd after UConn had tied it up and then again to start the beginning of overtime meant that maybe her Uncle was finally starting to see some sense on what an amazing player Taylor could be if given the chance. When UConn buried it with only 13 seconds left in overtime, Kelsey couldn’t help but sigh because they really should have won that game. 

Waiting a few minutes as some of the crowd filtered out, Kelsey made her way down into the bowels of the arena hoping to sneak just a few minutes with Taylor before the team boarded the bus. 

It wasn’t long before she spotted him wandering around like he was looking for someone. 

“There you are.” He declared, pulling her into a relatively hidden corner. “Mikey said you were here. I didn’t know you were coming tonight.” Pressing up to kiss him before responding, Kelsey held him close and poured her pride into the kiss. 

“Wanted to surprise you.” She declared, hands sliding down his body in appreciation. “So proud of you. Drawing penalties by moving your feet and getting some power play time. Plus significant OT time. He should be playing you with #17 more often.” 

As she spoke she felt Taylor’s eyes on her and as her hands grazed his waist she felt him straining against his compression shorts. 

“Did you wear this specifically to kill me?” He mumbled, voice deep. 

Laughing quietly, Kelsey pulled him into another kiss just trying to make the most of the few minutes they could steal before he needed to get back to his team. After a few minutes she pushed him on his way before they got caught and blew the whole on the down low thing they were rocking. 

He was definitely hard but hopefully could just play that off on adrenaline and a good workout. Fixing her hair from where Taylor’s hands ran through it, Kelsey peeked around the corner before making her way out of the building along the most efficient path. 

By the time she got back to her parents house after stopping for gas and the few things she needed to pack up and move back into campus tomorrow, she had missed multiple texts from Taylor. 

It was a good thing she waited until she was in her room to open the messages because right off the bat was a picture of his bulge straining against his briefs from what was likely the men’s bathroom. Under it were a few text messages.

Taylor: You’re killing me Kels. 

Taylor: How are you so damn pretty at a hockey game. 

Chuckling to herself, Kelsey took a picture of her glass of ice she hadn’t poured her bottle of water into yet. 

Kelsey: Got plenty of ice for your cold shower there bud. 

Attaching the picture she sent it off, laughing when he simply sent back a pouting emoji. 

Given that she still had some packing to do and was going to be up for a little while, Kelsey debated continuing to tease Taylor further, curious what reactions she could draw from him. Stripping to change into pajamas, Kelsey snapped a picture of the pile of clothes before picking them up and putting them in the dirty laundry bag that would be going back to campus. Once redressed she sent the picture off to Taylor without a caption and moved to her bathroom to pack up all the things she wanted to take and didn’t need tonight or in the morning. 

When her phone buzzed it was a single line of text with a tone that came across loud and clear. 

Taylor: Kels…

Taylor had had enough and Kelsey set her phone aside resuming the packing that she wanted to get done tonight. As she settled into bed she pulled up their text thread shooting off a few more messages.��

Kelsey: Headed to bed but text me if you need me. 

Kelsey: I’m proud of you T. 

Kelsey: Also, not sure if I mentioned it but moving back into my apartment tomorrow if you want to come over when you guys get back. 

Plugging her phone in, Kelsey snuggled into bed thinking about stolen kisses and how she just wanted Taylor to have more games like this. 

*****

When Kelsey woke up her phone showed her that Taylor had read her messages even though there was no reply. Sighing though she was sure things were fine, she worked through her morning yoga, got dressed and collected her bags, carrying them all downstairs to pack up her car after eating breakfast. Like usual, her mom had made too much food and after eating more than she should Kelsey started to load up. 

Before she could go, her parents had to stop her and ensure she had everything she needed before giving their usual lectures about how she needed to focus on school not partying, that break time was over and now she needed to focus. As if she hadn’t been working on her graduation project over the entirety of break. 

As much as she loved her parents they could be a tiny bit out of touch. It was just something she had learned to deal with. But it was one of the reasons she still hadn’t told them she had a boyfriend. 

The drive back to her apartment at Hampshire was welcomed as was the fact that she was the only one of her roommates who had chosen to come back today so she had the entire apartment to herself. 

After dropping off her bags, she made a quick trip to the store for some food basics before coming home, eating a snack, and starting the process of unpacking and cleaning the stale apartment including making her bed with fresh sheets. 

Though she didn’t watch the UMass game she paid just enough attention to know when it had ended to keep her eyes and ears open in case Taylor had decided to come over. 

Hearing the knock on her door, Kelsey could only smile to herself as she moved to let her boyfriend in. He had a bag over his shoulder and one in his hand but seeing his expression made her smile drop and she looked at him wearily. 

"How dumb were you tonight?" She asked with a sigh. 

"Boarding minor with like a minute left." He admitted reluctantly. In response, Kelsey could only roll her eyes and shake her head at him.

 "And we've still got work to do there...but at least it was before the whistle right?" 

With Taylor confirming that it was indeed before the whistle Kelsey stepped aside. That was at least minor progress. 

“Brought food.” He murmured, kicking his shoes off onto the mat by the door. 

“I could go for a late night snack.” Kelsey agreed, moving to take the bag from his shoulder to set by her door. 

“No roommates?” He asked softly, setting the bag of food down on the kitchen counter. 

“Nope. Not coming back until Monday. So it’s just you and me assuming the bag means what I think it does.” 

“As long as you’re okay with it?” Taylor mumbled. “If not I can text Mikey.” 

“Of course I’m okay with it. That’s why I implied you should come over and stay the night.” Kelsey insisted, propping herself up on the counter beside the food. “Now what did you bring?” 

Digging into the food, the two of them chilled in the kitchen eating before cleaning up their mess, no leftovers in sight. Taylor was quieter than usual and though Kelsey was a little worried, she didn’t push him to talk. Once the kitchen was clean, Kelsey moved with Taylor back to her room, proceeding to grab pajamas and clean underwear from her drawers. 

“I need a shower before bed, you can join me if you want.” She explained. When Taylor’s response wasn’t the eager one she was expecting she grew even more concerned and looked up at him seeing his body language was sunken. “Or you can just curl up in bed and I’ll be back in a few.” She declared. 

Mouthing a what the fuck to herself as she moved toward the bathroom, Kelsey shook her head. Something was definitely wrong with her boyfriend if she couldn’t even get him to shower with her. 

Going through her usual routine, Kelsey changed and dried her hair before returning to her bedroom to find Taylor sprawled out in her bed half naked just watching something on tv though it was debatable if he was actually watching or dozing. 

Turning the main light in her room off and closing her door even though they were the only ones here, Kelsey slid into bed beside Taylor, still trying to read her boyfriend. It only took a moment before he was pulling her close, her body half draped over his and her left leg swung over his thighs. As his hands settled on her lower back, Kelsey laid her head on his shoulder just wanting to give him whatever he needed from her even if she didn’t fully understand what was wrong. 

After a few minutes she peeked up at him, watching as he rested, breathing deeply like there was a lot on his mind. 

“Can I have a kiss Tay?” She asked softly. “Before you fall asleep.” 

Tipping his head, Taylor kissed her softly twice before pulling back. 

If it weren’t for his thumbs tracing patterns at her waistline, Kelsey would have assumed that he was asleep. That’s why it surprised her a little when she felt him harden slightly, his dick pressing against her lower thigh through the thin material of his boxer briefs. 

Reaching out to touch him, Kelsey had barely grazed his bulge when he mumbled for her to stop. Retracting her hand she looked up at him as his eyes flickered open. 

“Just cuddle me.” He pleaded softly. 

Her boyfriend was hard yet he didn’t want sex. That was not something that Kelsey had expected at all and she didn’t fully understand it. Still, if he didn’t want sex then she wasn’t going to push for it and instead she settled, her fingers tracing patterns along his side. 

It was comfortable just snuggling him like this, his nose nudging her hair as his breathing relaxed beneath her. The weight of his arm securing her to his body made her feel safe and before she knew it she was getting sleepy as well. She had no clue how he was this relaxed but yet hard but she had an inkling that maybe the two were related. That was something to look into more another time. 

For now she was just going to enjoy getting to sleep in her boyfriend’s arms for the first time without either of them needing to rush out to meet a curfew or running to prevent boundaries from being crossed as this kind of intimacy was scary. It wasn’t any less scary now, but now that he was hers she found that it was much easier to push that fear aside and just enjoy being close to him. After all, there weren’t many physical boundaries left between them even if they’d only been together a few weeks. Taylor had seen her at her most vulnerable and she’d seen him in similar states. 

Their relationship seemed to be progressing quickly but yet it felt right. 

By no means was she ready to even think about those three little words, but she had a feeling they were going to come at some point because Taylor was someone she was starting to not be able to imagine her life without. 

With a yawn, she cuddled closer and before she fully knew it, she was asleep in his arms. 

*****

 Blinking awake, Kelsey stretched out, her body slow to process that there was another person in bed with her. Really there was another person under her. 

Taylor. 

This was the first time that she was waking up in the same bed as her boyfriend and despite being in her double bed, the way she was straddling his thigh, basically laying on top of him with both of his arms around her signaled that neither had made much of a move for space in the middle of the night. Quite the opposite really. 

Hearing a groan, Kelsey tilted her head slightly to peek up at Taylor as his hands rubbed over her mostly bare back, her shirt having ridden up to rest under her boobs. His eyes were closed but there was definitely no way he was asleep. Kissing along his collar bone, Kelsey stretched again a bit, her body stiff from sleep. 

“Morning handsome. Sleep okay?” 

“Not too bad. You kinda snore a little though.” 

She could hear the grin in his voice as he spoke and peeking up at him again confirmed that her easy going happy boyfriend was back. Smacking his chest softly, Kelsey squeaked a little as Taylor’s hands dropped to her butt, pulling her up and firmly onto his body as his mouth dropped to hers in a light exploring kiss. 

Settled over him she could feel his hard length pressed against her stomach. Morning wood. This time Kelsey was pretty confident of the reason for the erection even if she still didn’t understand last night’s semi. 

Kissing him back, Kelsey rolled her hips softly grinding down against him. No matter how many times they had sex it was still a heady feeling doing this with him. The heat of him was overwhelming and Kelsey felt her arousal spike. 

At the same time though her bladder started to protest and Kelsey sighed, breaking the kiss. 

“Bathroom.” She mumbled, pushing at his hands gently signaling that he needed to let her up. 

When his grip on her finally relented, Kelsey carefully got up and fixed her shirt before making her way to the bathroom. As she opened the door to her room she saw Taylor climbing out of bed and reaching into the overnight bag he’d brought, pulling out a toothbrush. 

Though she wouldn’t normally leave the door open, Kelsey knew that if she wanted Taylor to be open with her she would need to be open with him too and it wasn’t like he hadn’t already been in the room while she peed. After emptying her bladder, Kelsey cleaned up and redressed before standing and bumping Taylor aside a bit so she could reach her own toothbrush. 

This all felt very domestic and nearly knocked the wind out of her. 

Wasn’t spending the night with someone for the first time supposed to feel at least a little bit awkward? Instead it felt normal…natural to share space with Taylor like this. 

Finishing brushing his teeth, Taylor stepped around her to use the bathroom himself and by the time he was finished, so was she. 

Peeking over her shoulder at him, Kelsey moved back toward her room and onto her bed, waiting for him to join her. Within moments of him flopping onto the bed, his hands were reaching for her hips, pulling her back on top of him just like she’d been before. 

Though his eyes were tired, his gaze was still full of want and Kelsey grinned, grinding down against him softly once again. In addition to rolling her hips, Kelsey leaned forward kissing along Taylor’s neck and collarbone leaving a subtle mark he could hide under clothes. 

It didn’t take long for her to feel him grow stiff beneath her and she sighed happily as she kissed him enjoying the feeling of knowing that he wants her. 

After urging Taylor’s hands to her body to remove her pajamas, Kelsey reached over for a condom in preparation of what was to come. With her pjs pulled from her body, Taylor rolled her, tossing their clothing onto the floor as he settled over her, kissing trails over her skin as well. 

It was a lazy mood, almost indulgent because there was no question from either of them on what they both wanted. 

Taylor slipped the condom from her grasp and carefully tore the packaging before sheathing his length in the thin latex. 

“We good?” He asked softly, only lining up and slowly pressing inside of her upon seeing her nod. 

The feeling of being stretched by him once again made her gasp and sigh because it was so good. There was nothing hurried about his movements, just a slow grind and gradual push and pull providing just enough friction to leave electricity bubbling under her skin. 

“You’re perfect Kels.” Taylor mumbled against the shell of her ear, his lips trailing lightly over her skin. 

They’d had rough sex, soft sex, frantic sex, frankly every kind of sex but this was once again different and Kelsey couldn’t get enough. He felt incredible and his hands on her body heightened everything about it. 

As she started to feel the first signs of an approaching orgasm Kelsey tried to maneuver into it, urging Taylor to deepen this thrusts. 

“Not yet Kels.” He whispered, his voice scratchy with pleasure but soft all the same. “Just relax and enjoy it.” 

Ghosting feather light touches over her skin, Taylor kissed her, his lips easing over hers the way his body was easing into hers. Tangling her fingers in his hair, Kelsey nipped lightly at his lip before moaning as even more warmth filled her body and everything felt even more intense. 

There was no denying that she was close but when she finally spasmed around him a few minutes later it was nothing like what she had been expecting yet just as good. The sound of his groan as she milked him was imprinted on her brain and happy, sleepy hormones filled her as he ground against her seeking his own release. 

When he came, her name fell from his lips in a way she’d never heard before and a pulse of aftershocks rolled through her leaving her completely breathless as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. 

Sex had never been like it was with Taylor and Kelsey basked in the feeling of him resting inside her as he recovered from his own orgasm. 

“Holy shit Taylor.” She mumbled softly as he lifted off of her a bit to kiss her. After leaving her warm and gooey with his kiss, Taylor pulled out of her slowly and brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face. 

“Go pee Kels.” He murmured, shifting to dispose of the condom in her bedroom trash before pulling his boxer briefs back on. Though she knew he was right, Kelsey couldn’t help but just stare at him because it was hard to believe that this man could take care of her in every way like he seemed to be doing. 

By the time she got herself up and into the bathroom and then finally fully regained her legs, Kelsey found Taylor in the kitchen cracking eggs into a skillet and the words left her mouth before she even fully processed them. 

“Are you making breakfast?” 

“Yeah. Don’t know about you but I’m hungry.” He replied looking soft and sexy standing over the stove in her apartment in nothing but his boxer briefs. The fact that he could cook at least some eggs caught Kelsey a bit by surprise but it was a more than welcomed surprise. It was even more of a welcomed surprise that he was actually a good cook. 

After devouring the breakfast he made, Kelsey pulled him back to bed wanting to just enjoy the last weekend day they had before classes started and time together grew harder to come by.

[itscarshub]

New Zealand beat Pakistan by six wickets

Mark Chapman went out and did what he had been threatening all series when the stakes were at their highest. The 28-year-old scored an unbeaten 104 off 57 balls, chasing down 194, in a breathtaking display of magnificently clean hitting against some of the best T20 cricket bowlers to stun Pakistan. Even though New Zealand led Pakistan by 2-0 after two games, it was the second-highest total ever scored against Pakistan in T20 matches. It also means that the series ended in a tie. It is additionally New Zealand's 100th T20I win, one that will invest wholeheartedly in a spot in New Zealand T20 fables. When they arrived in Pakistan from halfway around the world and only had one practice session under their belt when the series began, few would have given them hope that they could accomplish this. The fact that their team was depleted, with eight first-team players absent due to IPL duty, made the task even more difficult. Even on the day, it appeared especially unlikely that New Zealand would win when Imad Wasim struck to remove Daryl Mitchell, leaving them at 73 for 4 at the halfway point.

The tables are turned by Chapman and Neesham.

Chapman finished with 290 runs in a series despite only being dismissed once because Pakistan hadn't yet taken him into account. He hit Faheem Ashraf for 14 in the 11th over to put Pakistan on notice that the game and the series were not over yet. They should have heeded the warning, but they were powerless against Chapman's assault. Chapman destroyed every Pakistan bowler, right-arm and left-arm, as James Neesham's unbeaten 45 off 25 was a more than adequate supporting act. 71 runs were scored in the subsequent five overs, and New Zealand won the match. Chapman kept attacking even though he was getting close to a hundred now. Shaheen Shah Afridi had some luck against him; Before Afridi dropped him off his bowling on 98, Shadab Khan dropped a straightforward catch. He was able to complete the 100 he so richly deserved by sprinting back for two. At this point, it was a run-a-ball condition for the last two overs, and for Chapman here, it was a cakewalk. With four balls remaining, a small push into the on side sealed the deal, giving Pakistan a reality check and a bloody nose before the five-match ODI series starts later this week.

The trio of strikes

Pakistan may have started well with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, but the bowlers, much like New Zealand has done in almost every match this series, came back strong. In the final powerplay over, Babar was the first to fall when he misjudged an on-side slog. Mohammad Haris was eager to make up for a while when he came in with two balls left on the powerplay. However, he misread Blair Tickner's off-cutter and attempted to lap over a short fine leg from his first delivery. Before coming on, Ish Sodhi dispatched Saim Ayub with a wrong'un for another duck after taking a straightforward catch. A promising Pakistani start was ruined after the sudden loss of three wickets for one run in five balls.

Pakistan's strange slowness and Rizwan's score of 98

It's maybe boorish to criticize a T20 hundred, yet it's impossible to stay away from it. Since 2021, Rizwan has been one of Pakistan's most potent matchwinners and a run machine in Twenty20 Internationals. He started with the format-appropriate truculence, hurtling along even as Babar struggled and wickets fell at the other end, despite a relatively lean run by his standards. He started, batted through the middle of the innings, and probably should have scored a century. T20 centurions, on the other hand, are like presidents in that you probably don't deserve to be one. Rizwan's century might have come naturally if Pakistan had continued to attack the death overs in the same manner as any team that maximizes its run-scoring potential. All things considered, he picked relative wariness, and the last couple of balls were completely equipped towards getting Rizwan those last couple of runs instead of giving Pakistan each additional run they could scratch. Faheem Ashraf took just the single pitch rather than the two that were on or off the penultimate ball because Imad was run out trying to scrape a bye despite being the batter in better hitting form. Rizwan didn't even make it to three figures, but more so because he only scored one boundary out of his last 13 balls. Chapman, on the other hand, barely seemed to notice his score when batting on 98. Afridi had only one ball left and might have been drained for a solitary or seen off. The batter, on the other hand, attempted a high-risk jab to the on side, but the ball flew straight up. Even though Chapman scored the century and his team won, the score didn't matter.

Shaheen Afridi's opening score

Oh, how we've been missing out. Afridi went the whole series without recording a first-over wicket, but on Monday in Rawalpindi, it seemed as though his most alluring talent had never been absent. The match started with a first-ball wicket, albeit it wasn't exactly the inswinger that ripped through a right-handed batsman's defense. Instead, it drifted away from left-handed batter Tom Latham, who sliced it politely to Shadab at the point. He was prepared for the one that angled away, kissed the outside edge, and carried through to Rizwan after a couple of proving inswinging deliveries to Will Young. Afridi returned after New Zealand fell behind by two runs in an over, but only to witness the Nos. 5 and 6 of New Zealand make an incredible comeback.

Conclusion

New Zealand won against Pakistan in a T20 match by six wickets, with Mark Chapman leading the way with an unbeaten 104 off 57 balls. This was despite the odds being against them, with their team being depleted and having only had one practice session before the series began. Although Pakistan started well with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the bowlers came back strong and limited their scoring. Rizwan scored 98 but picked relative wariness, and the last couple of balls were completely geared towards getting him the last couple of runs instead of giving Pakistan each additional run they could scratch. Chapman kept attacking even when he was close to a hundred and destroyed every Pakistan bowler. It is also worth noting that this win is New Zealand's 100th T20I win, which is a significant milestone. Read the full article

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1]   Qiana Joseph. PC – PCB About 30 minutes before the start of the West Indies-England T20 World Cup game, there seemed to be some kind of a forewarning. A gusty wind blew across the Dubai cricket ground. Some three hours later, that wind had manifested into a ‘Qiana-Joseph-storm’ inside the stadium. Such was the power and strength of Qiana’s batting that it blew away England’s chances of progressing to the World Cup semifinal and powered the West Indies into the last-four. Qiana’s thought process was clear – if you bowl in my arc, it will go out of the park. Agricultural hoicks to pulls and lofts, Qiana was thoroughly enjoying her stay in the middle. Hayley Matthews, the fulcrum of the side, was matching Qiana’s strike rate. But for once it wasn’t the West Indies skipper who stole the show. It was Qiana. Meanwhile, England didn’t seem to know what really hit them. Dropping a string of catches didn’t help their cause either. By the completion of 6 overs, West Indies galloped to 67 for no loss. With just 75 more runs to score, the Windies had ‘killed’ the game in the PowerPlay itself. So, who is Qiana Joseph? For that, you have to scroll through a Cricket West Indies YouTube video from 2019. With a constant smile, the St Lucia-born cricketer mentions that she is a left-arm medium pacer who mostly generates inswing into the right-hander. And how she is trying to learn the tricks of pace bowling from her team-mates – Shakera Selman and Shamilia Connell. A couple of years earlier, when Qiana made her ODI debut versus South Africa in the 50-over World Cup, she had come out to bat at the No. 11 position. In her second T20I game, she batted at the No.8 position. It was in the 2022 CPL, where Qiana showcased some of her power-hitting skills with a brisk 19-ball 30. Incidentally, she came out to bat with her side, Barbados Royals in trouble. By the time Qiana made her comeback into the West Indies set-up this year, the coaching staff had decided that she would be used as a floater. She went on to play a useful hand of 34 this year versus Pakistan, which was her highest T20I score until she smashed England’s bowlers to shreds last night. Qiana had also provided more evidence of her pyrotechnics in a warm-up game versus the defending champions Australia. Interestingly, Shane Deitz, the current West Indies coach, did observe before the World Cup that Qiana ‘is a dangerous player’. Those words turned out to be prophetic. The night didn’t just belong to one player. It belonged to all those 11 West Indies cricketers who believed that they could do something special. When Aaliyah Alleyne hit the winning runs, the entire group of West Indies’ players was seen screaming and high-fiving the dug-out. At the other end of the spectrum, a young boy in the stands, with an England shirt on, was down to tears. The same could be said about the English players. Heather Knight, the England skipper, who couldn’t take the field due to a calf injury, was also emotional. But she had an extra responsibility, and that was to console her team-mates.  The last bit of action of the night was, however, left to the show stopper Qiana. The left-hander showed her dance steps while receiving the Player of the Match award. For us all, it was a night to remember which added much to this World Cup experience. The post Qiana Joseph – The smiling assassin who blew away England appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link