Frankie
That’s the right answer
Logan
Maybe we can talk about this more tonight
Frankie
I’m probably stuck at the hospital pretty late
And late on the west coast is extra late here.
I don’t stay up. I was tempted, and of course, I made it clear she could just wake me if she wanted to talk about hypothetical future babies.
But I knew if I was going to win despite the stupid fucking Wilson system, I needed my rest. And we have all the time in the world to talk about that sort of thing later. We have nothing but time stretching in front of us.
I go to bed early.
I wake up to an adorable string of text messages from Frankie about all the things she did while I was asleep.
Then I go to the rink, and make my presence felt early. I endure Wilson’s judgement, and execute his system exactly as he wants me to.
We still lose to Hamilton, in our own barn.
The next night, I don’t go to bed early. I make sure I stay up late to talk to Frankie.
The next game, I avoid Wilson until the last possible second. I slip my wedding ring onto my hand just before I put on my gloves. And I start to play my own game. Fuck his system. Fuck his coaching.
Fuck him.
MEN’S HOCKEY NEWS: THE SCOREBOARD RECAP
Buffalo’s January Surge: From Pretenders to Contenders
January 30— Remember when we were talking about Logan Granger as a trade deadline rental three weeks ago? Buffalo’s scoring leader has spent the month of January making sure everyone knows that conversation is over.
Buffalo has gone 6-0-2 in their last eight games, collecting 14 of a possible 16 points in a stretch that has vaulted them into legitimate wildcard contention for the first time in years. It’s the kind of run that means nobody in that front office is taking calls about trade proposals.
Their last regulation loss was a close 3-2 victory for Hamilton, in a Buffalo home game where Granger still managed to shine. He notched a goal and an assist against a Highlanders squad widely considered a Cup contender—and a buyer at the trade deadline. Those two teams will have a rematch in Hamilton tomorrow night.
The most decisive win was a 6-1 rout against Granger’s hometown team from Minnesota, shutting down another team that had reportedly been eyeing Granger as a deadline addition.
But despite what could be described as stellar auditions against teams he has personal connections to, the message being sent loud and clear is that Buffalo isn’t selling.
“This group believes in what we’re building,” Granger told reporters after the Minnesota win, in what might be the most animated postgame interview he’s given all season. “We’re not thinking about anything except the next game.”
The two other blemishes on the run? Overtime losses to Nashville and Tampa Bay—games in which Buffalo held leads into the third period, only to lose the edge in the last five minutes of play. They’re reminiscent of games they were regularly losing in regulation last season, and their head coach, Frank Wilson, is quick to point to his players finally fully clicking with a cohesive system as a key factor.
Buffalo now sits just three points back of the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with the All-Star Break approaching, a position that seemed almost unthinkable at the start of the month.
And here’s the kicker: Granger’s O-zone start percentage has decreased slightly since our last report. He’s just that good. The broader story here isn’t just about Granger, though he remains the engine. It’s about a roster that appears to have found its identity at the right time.
The All-Star Break will give Buffalo a chance to rest and reset before the stretch run. For a franchise that hasn’t tasted playoff hockey in fifteen years—the longest active postseason drought in North American professional sports—the stakes of the next two months are difficult to overstate.
For now, at least, the stats seem to be saying, don’t bet against Buffalo.
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