The Hockey Life: Tough game

Given the score, an abysmal double-digits to 1, it would have been easy to understand any player, seeing the waning moments of the game wind down, to go through the motions. You skate, but with less of a purpose. Rather than mount a last-ditch bid to generate some offense, you're happy to simply clear the puck. Watching from the bench, it seems, isn't all that bad.

Really, all you want is the buzzer to sound.

In this game of life, and not just in hockey, there will always be stinkers of a game. It's s fact of life. Sports, too. And don't let anyone tell you any differently. As much as we all want to win, someone has to lose. That's the way it goes.

In those situations, though, an opportunity presents itself. It all boils down to one simple decision -- do you keep trying hard, no matter the score or outcome? In my book, you do. That's the way I was raised. That's the way I'm raising Colin. There's no other choice.

Yes, it stinks getting shellacked. It isn't fun, in the least little bit, watching the other team run up the score. But, if the team is that good and you're not doing much to stop them, what can you do? Quit? Blame others? Whine about the talent level of the other team? No. No. And no.

So, what can you do? You dig a little harder. You skate a little faster. You look your teammates, as well as the opponents, square in the eye. You don't give up. Instead, you chalk it up as a learning experience and use it as motivation to make sure it never happens again. You grow.

Really, that's all you can do. And, thankfully, that's what Colin did.