A Return to the Playoffs

[der meister 2,963]

               For the first time since his rookie year, Ryuji Sakamoto is heading into the playoffs, this time with the Seattle Bears. In his only prior playoff experience with the Toronto Legion, Sakamoto registered a pair of assists in three games, along with 12 hits and 8 blocked shots. While three games is hardly a noteworthy sample size, Sakamoto's track record suggests that when the games get bigger, his performance on the ice elevates. The Bears have to be considered a heavy underdog in their upcoming series with the Vancouver Wolves, given the 18 point difference in the standings and a goal differential of 49, it must be said that stranger things have happened. And in Sakamoto's case, he might have additional motivation in the form of friends visiting from Japan.

 

               With both Ren Amimaya and Ann Takamaki visiting the brash defenseman, the apartment in Redmond has been a little more chaotic than usual, but not unpleasantly so. Amimaya, it turns out, might be some sort of barista in his native land, as he makes the most remarkable cup of coffee I think I've ever had. He's also surprisingly helpful around the house, taking on odd chores with nothing more than a friendly smile. I learned from Sakamoto that Amimaya also has a penchant for making curry, something he picked up from his time living above the Leblanc café, no doubt.

              

               Ms. Takamaki is a welcome sight, as well. Not only was she clearly excited to be reunited with Amimaya and Sakamoto, but she presented yours truly with a warm hug and a brief reminiscing of our time in Toronto. Suffice to say I am unaccustomed to such attention, but the act made me genuinely smile. She apparently has a surprisingly shrewd mind for business, as she will be having a business meeting with a Seattle firm while she's in town to discuss the possibility of becoming the international modeling face of their product, though she apologized, saying she could not get into the details at this point in time.

              

               As we head into the first playoff game in the wildcard series, I am interested to see Amimaya and Ms. Takamaki's reaction to playoff hockey. They have both been present for some of Sakamoto's games in the past, starting with his time in the VHLE with Istanbul, but playoff hockey at the VHL level is an entirely different experience.

              

               Writing these articles, and following young players throughout their career, I'm supposed to remain objective, but when a player accepts me into their circle as firmly as Ryuji Sakamoto has, it's difficult not to quietly root for his success on and off the ice. He's made a significant amount of money, and that certainly is one of his goals with his career as a professional ice hockey player, but his competitive nature is to try to be the best that he can be. With only 3 playoff games under his belt, I have no doubt that he's disappointed in his inability to ascend to the next level, and as part of a heavy underdog, the odds are against this year being a turning point. But the more time I spend with him and his friends, the more I see that desire to succeed, and the more I believe that, some day, he will make it to the top of the simulation ice hockey mountain.

 

Ahh...playoff hockey