@ Detroit

Another classic adventure in the Motor City where the blue and white decided to play with our hearts again. Matthew Knies found the back of the net in the second frame, giving us that dangerous thing called hope. Of course, because we aren't allowed to have nice things for more than a few minutes, Moritz Seider tied it up before the second intermission. It’s the kind of systematic emotional breakdown that only this franchise can deliver with such consistent precision.

The third period was a microcosm of my entire adult life. Nicholas Robertson hammered one home to give us the lead, and for a fleeting moment, I considered planning a parade route. Naturally, Mason Appleton responded before the celebration in my living room even finished, knotting the score and ensuring we’d get our beloved participation point. Getting outshot 36-27 is just our way of keeping the goalie’s heart rate in the "extreme" zone for the sake of entertainment.

Then came the overtime period, the place where dreams go to die in three-on-three fashion. Simon Edvinsson ended the misery, because why stretch out the pain when you can just rip the Band-Aid off? Losing in Detroit after holding two separate leads is basically a rite of passage at this point. I’ll be back for the next one, mostly because I lack self-respect and apparently enjoy the unique sting of a 2-3 overtime loss.