Time to speak about something we\u2019ve yet to ever speak about. Really. There actually are topics we\u2019ve 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\u2019s talk about hockey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ok, so it\u2019s not really about hockey, and I\u2019m not really all that much of an enthusiast. But I will admit to tuning into this year\u2019s playoffs. Therein lies today\u2019s topic\u2026 although, if I\u2019m honest, it only starts on the ice; like most lessons in life, it applies to so much more\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Greater Miami\/Fort Lauderdale area. They are the NHL\u2019s southernmost team. They began playing in 1993-94, and have never won the sport\u2019s coveted Stanley Cup. They in fact barely eked<\/em> into this year\u2019s playoffs, as in order to qualify, they needed losses by two other teams at season\u2019s end just to clinch the very last playoff spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But alas, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins sadly-to-their-fans obliged, propelling the Panthers to seemingly woeful spot number eight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The eighth spot wasn\u2019t 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\u2019t been all that good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence, Florida found themselves in the first round matched up with the Boston Bruins \u2014 not only a storied franchise, but also the team with the best regular season record \u2014 not only in 2023-24, but also, in NHL history.<\/em> (Yes, we said \u201chistory.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s home ice. Let\u2019s be clear; it was never expected to be anywhere close to close. <\/em>The Boston Bruins were assumed not just to win, but to dominate.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But they did not. The unremarkable Panthers beat the league\u2019s top seed. On to Round 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Panthers then won Round 2 \u2014 impressively winning the 7 game series 4-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then, Round 3 \u2014 even more impressively winning the series 4-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They now find themselves auspiciously entering the Stanley Cup Finals, with play beginning this coming weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It makes me think about all that\u2019s truly in play\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Panthers\u2019 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\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder how hard they thought they had to try\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder if they knew that winning is not deserved nor assumed\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Was any entitlement thinking in play? And if so, how did that affect them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then I think of those Panthers; they had nothing to lose because they knew<\/em> it was possible they could lose; nothing was assumed\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you know you can lose, you tend to be a little more humble\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n You tend to respect those around you\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n You quit the boast and the brag\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n You also tend to have a little more fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Time and time again, current culture doesn\u2019t seem to see the perils embedded in power and pride. It doesn\u2019t 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\u2019s a little too entitlement-based. That means it\u2019s also a little too unhealthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s true. We haven\u2019t talked about hockey here that often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But as always, there is so much more to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Time to speak about something we\u2019ve yet to ever speak about. Really. There actually are topics we\u2019ve 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\u2019s talk about hockey. Ok, so it\u2019s not really about hockey, and I\u2019m not really … <\/p>\n