Chapter 356: Joey XIX—Tiger Can
Joe noticed immediately something different about Alex Tanguay and Dan Hinote when he went into the locker room. Usually Alex had a soft, bright smile on his face, sometimes getting shocked by the guys jokes and stories and chiding them. He’d cross his arms and pout or laugh either way Alex always made himself heard whether it would be to whine or compliment someone. Dan, well, his smile was inescapable and his joshing attitude, the sunshine he generated lit up a room even during a bad game.
For one thing, both men were missing that attitude when Joe saw them first in the locker room before the pregame skate. Dan sat with his arms crossed, his eyes wide and absolutely no color in his face. He looked as if he’d had little sleep because of some fear or gnawing worry. Now, Alex, he also had no smile on his face and his eyes seemed dark and his lips were pursed as if he concentrated on something of great importance. He didn’t seem as disturbed as Danny did or angry, he just seemed, serious and mature.
“What’s on your mind, Tiger?” Joe asked.
Alex looked at him, and his eyes didn’t even light up the way they usually did when he addressed the kid. Aw, was Sport all grown up? “Oh nothing much, Joe. I’m just thinking about things. You know things I need to pay attention to.” Joe thought about what the other guys had been buzzing about, Alex possibly having an attachment with that pretty Spanish movie star. The fact that Alex would even have to think twice about her amused him to no end. Still, she could be a distraction to him as he tried to play his game, perhaps that’s what bothered Alex, he was thinking about the team. Poor kid.
Joe nodded, “That’s great.” Responsibilities the first real step in becoming a veteran player, an important step, but he didn’t say that out loud. He patted Alex on the arm soundly, the kid had it together, and he turned his attention to the other one. “Hey, Dan, what’s bugging ya boy?”
Dan grimaced. “Oh stuff, I mean nothing you’d be interested in Captain, I mean, I’ll figure it out, I mean… Hell…” Dan looked helpless and he scratched his head. “Well either way it’s my fault. And I need to deal with it.”
Joe nodded, “Well that’s a good attitude Danny, but if you need help, don’t be afraid to talk to me okay?” No doubt he was thinking about Cecile. Maybe he’d had a fight with her or something; perhaps he was getting worried about the wedding. Cecile didn’t seem out of sorts to him this morning as she played with the kids but then again, sometimes he didn’t think the girl really expressed that much. Maybe he would ask Debbie later, just in case Cecile had confided in her.
“Thanks,” Dan murmured.
Joe stretched and yawned, swinging his arms as he went to his locker. He wondered if either of those two would be in better spirits by the second period at least. He missed having someone to perpetually smile.
Joe could feel flatness in his gait as he played in the first period, and what’s more, he noticed it with the team as well. Passing, shooting, defensive responsibilities just didn’t seem to be there at all as the Blackhawks manhandled them. Joe groaned in frustration when he swung his leg over the boards and sat on the bench to see Drury stripped of the puck setting a three on two down the ice. Fortunately, the magic of the Smittens came through and Patrick fired a row of neat saves, capping them off by tucking the puck safely under his paws in his crease.
The whistle blew and Joe shook his head.
“Alright!” Coach Hartley yelled, “Enough of this crap, wake up boys come on!”
“Let’s start skating NOW!” Joe bellowed, “I want us to go into intermission on top, can we do that?”
“Yeah Joe!” Alex exclaimed and Joe watched his Alex hop onto the ice with Hejduk and Forsberg. He leaned forward, watching intently as they battled the puck up the ice set up a broken passing play. Alex parked in front of the net and then deflected a puck home for a goal.
“Yeah!” Joe exclaimed standing up and lifting his stick in celebration. “At least Tiger’s getting something done boys!”
“Eh lucky deflection!” Chris Drury said with a laugh and a wink.
“Then go get one yourself,” Joe replied smiling at Chris as they jumped onto the ice. He made quick eye contact with Chris whose cheeks rounded with his smile.
“Ready?” Joe asked. He darted forward, snagging the puck off a Hawk and headed towards the net. Two defenders immediately descended upon him and Joe heard from behind Drury call out for it. Without thinking he dropped a pass and within moments Joe saw the goalie flinch and then the red light came on and the crowd roared. Joe held up his stick and then patted Drury on the helmet. “Good one.”
The team
didn’t really look back after that, Joe was proud to see. But what really
impressed him was that Alex really seemed on another world. Every time his line
hit the ice something happened that sent the Hawks scattering in panic and
rushed efforts. Joe found himself smiling and clapping especially when Alex
potted another goal. Soon after Blake and Foote scored and
then Joe and Drury each scored in the second period. The game had fast
turned into a route and the screams from the
“So Alex,” Joe said with a smile as Tanguay returned from the intermission interview, “You’re getting it done today!”
Alex didn’t smile like he usually would when complimented on his game; in fact his face still seemed grim. “Not done yet, Captain, I got a lot to do.”
Keaner laughed. “Oh yeah you punk? What else are you gonna do?”
Alex sniffed. “I’m just not done,” he replied a little tensely.
Joe exchanged looks with Keane who lifted his pale eyebrows and waggled them up and down. “Kid’s on a mission today.”
“I guess,” Joe laughed.
Alex found a corner alone and he sat there, dark, brooding, and Joe wanted to laugh, he really did he wanted to go over and prod the kid to see exactly how hard he wanted to hang on with this mood. But he decided it was best to leave him alone, no use messing with a good thing today! He smiled to himself and sipped a bottle of water.
Joe expected a little bit of a letdown in the third period and the fact that didn’t happen, amused and pleased him. Basically, if Alex was playing like he was out for blood, then by God the rest of the team didn’t want to be shown up especially by him! In a way, he almost felt bad for the Blackhawks as they stormed into the third period with Peter scoring and then Joe popped in another one of his own. He didn’t even glance at the scoreboard because he knew the rout had become obscene.
“Hey Joe, do you guys need me tonight?” Patty said somewhat petulantly, somewhat playfully. “I might just let a few go by, just to keep things interesting.” A puckish grin, a wink. “I just might need a night off.”
“Oh good,” Joe said nodding and grinning. “Want me to go tell coach you’re bored and let Aebi have a third period to get the dust off?”
Patrick frowned and scuttled back to his net. Joe laughed. He coughed and skated back to the bench. His eyes widened when he peeked at the scoreboard and he looked at Blake and blinked. Robbie seemed in the best of spirits and he grinned, “No hat tricks? Hmm who can get a hat trick??”
At that moment the crowd exploded and Joe stood up cheering and he peered at the celebrating players on the ice and he saw Tanguay in the middle of it and within moments hats began to sail to the ice from the rafters. “Tiger can,” Joe laughed. “Tiger can.”
“Oh he’s trying to impress a girl,” Rob said simply, “He’s been doing it all night.”
“You think?” Joe asked and he plucked a hat that had been tossed off his shoulder and tossed it onto the ice. “Did you talk with him?”
“Nah it’s obvious,” Blake grinned, “And look at the big screen.”
Joe did and he laughed. Cheering on the jumbotron from a suite stood a familiar handsome movie star face, obviously Tom Cruise, and at his side the pretty woman that made Joe shake his head. And Alex, now at the bench, seemed to ignore everyone else’s compliments and he stared at the screen with his mouth hanging open. When he finally did sit on the bench he smiled and it seemed as if an entire weight had been peeled off his shoulders and off his face and Joe smiled at him. “You crazy kid!”
Tanguay shrugged and grinned like a little boy, a little lovesick boy.