There’s few things in sports more riveting than a Game Seven in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The hockey world has only been graced with this kind of magic 17 times in league history, and tonight, we’ll bear witness to it again. Fans are obviously on the edge of their seats with anticipation, knowing that every moment in a winner-takes-all game is so crucial, so you can only imagine how the players who are actually going to be on the ice are feeling.
Brayden Schenn will play tonight’s game with his first Stanley Cup on the line, and ahead of the tilt, he texted a former teammate that knows a thing or two for pulling clutch in Game Seven for some advice.
It was exactly ten years ago today that Maxime Talbot historically turned on the jets in Game Seven of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens took the game 2-1, and Talbot, who had only scored 12 goals in the regular season that year, went OFF and scored both of the team’s goals in the win.
This week, Talbot told TVA Sports in Quebec that he was sitting on the couch enjoying some pizza on the couch when his former Flyers teammate’s name lit up his phone.
"What’s up mister game 7? Any advice?”, wrote Schenn.
Talbot said that he was honoured to receive the text, and responded with a great pep talk.
"Écoute, rentre là-dedans. Premièrement, amuse-toi, vis-le pleinement. Joue avec les épaules baissées, les sourcils levés. Sois aux aguets. Mais, il faut que tu saches qu’en dedans de toi, tu vas gagner la coupe. Il faut que tu sois motivé et que tu n’aies pas de doute. Vas-y avec ton cœur, sache que tu vas gagner et amuse-toi. Gagne ou perd, il faut que tu t’amuses."»
For some reason, that advice sounds more eloquent in French, but to translate:
“Listen, it comes from the inside. Have fun, live it completely. Keep your shoulders down, eyes up. Be on the lookout. But know inside you that you're going to win the Cup. You need to be motivated and have no doubts at all. Go with your heart, know that you’re going to win, and have fun. Win or lose, you have to enjoy it”.
We can imagine that it’s easy to get lost in the stress of wanting to win so badly that players can forget they’re in the midst of living their dreams, so this seems like some fantastic advice to us.
We’ll see if Shenn is able to keep his shoulders down and his heart full tonight, when the Bruins and the Blues go head to head for the Stanley Cup.
