Time to speak about something we’ve yet to ever speak about. Really. There actually are topics we’ve never ever addressed. Today I want to toy with something new. Something eventful. Something even a little fast-paced and sometimes even furious. Yes, let’s talk about hockey.
Ok, so it’s not really about hockey, and I’m not really all that much of an enthusiast. But I will admit to tuning into this year’s playoffs. Therein lies today’s topic… although, if I’m honest, it only starts on the ice; like most lessons in life, it applies to so much more…
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Greater Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. They are the NHL’s southernmost team. They began playing in 1993-94, and have never won the sport’s coveted Stanley Cup. They in fact barely eked into this year’s playoffs, as in order to qualify, they needed losses by two other teams at season’s end just to clinch the very last playoff spot.
But alas, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins sadly-to-their-fans obliged, propelling the Panthers to seemingly woeful spot number eight.
The eighth spot wasn’t all that surprising. True, they were very good last year; but this year, they were not. Their year has been rife with injury and inconsistency. They haven’t been all that good.
Hence, Florida found themselves in the first round matched up with the Boston Bruins — not only a storied franchise, but also the team with the best regular season record — not only in 2023-24, but also, in NHL history. (Yes, we said “history.”)
The Bruins masterfully skated to a 3-1 series lead in a 7 game series. They thought they had it all under control. But the Panthers soared back, forcing a Game 7 on Boston’s home ice. Let’s be clear; it was never expected to be anywhere close to close. The Boston Bruins were assumed not just to win, but to dominate.
But they did not. The unremarkable Panthers beat the league’s top seed. On to Round 2.
The Panthers then won Round 2 — impressively winning the 7 game series 4-1.
And then, Round 3 — even more impressively winning the series 4-0.
They now find themselves auspiciously entering the Stanley Cup Finals, with play beginning this coming weekend.
It makes me think about all that’s truly in play…
The Panthers’ initial opponent no doubt expected to win. They had been talked up, boasted about, and spoken of via generous superlatives. I wonder what dose of humility had ever entered into their thinking…
I wonder how hard they thought they had to try…
I wonder if they knew that winning is not deserved nor assumed…
Was any entitlement thinking in play? And if so, how did that affect them?
And then I think of those Panthers; they had nothing to lose because they knew it was possible they could lose; nothing was assumed…
When you know you can lose, you tend to be a little more humble…
You tend to respect those around you…
You quit the boast and the brag…
You also tend to have a little more fun.
Time and time again, current culture doesn’t seem to see the perils embedded in power and pride. It doesn’t seem to realize nor promote the inherent beauty of humility; we too often allow ourselves to be lured into thinking something is deserved or assumed. That’s a little too entitlement-based. That means it’s also a little too unhealthy.
It’s true. We haven’t talked about hockey here that often.
But as always, there is so much more to learn.
Respectfully…
AR