Ten years in the past final week, Ross Colton was at a Candy 16 party, glued to his cellphone — following the outcomes of a Rangers-Devils playoff sport.
The Robbinsville, N.J., native and present Lightning middle will play his first postseason contest at Madison Sq. Backyard on Wednesday night time. However this isn't the story of a child enjoying towards his boyhood staff.
“Grew up loving the Devils,” Colton stated previous to Recreation 1 of the Rangers-Lightning collection. “All the time had some disdain for the Rangers. Got here to so many playoff video games at The Rock.”
Colton could have family and friends in attendance on the Backyard on Wednesday, however his finest reminiscences of rising up a hockey fan contain the Rangers shedding. He stated that he and his brother took the practice to Newark to attend video games of the 2012 convention remaining, when the Devils prevailed in a six-game Battle of the Hudson to upset the Rangers on Adam Henrique’s additional time winner.
He was not on the Prudential Middle for Henrique’s purpose, although. As an alternative, he missed the sport for the get together.
“We didn’t even care what was happening,” Colton stated. “We have been all on our telephones going nuts when it went into additional time. After which for him to attain was fairly loopy. So yeah, I simply at all times bear in mind these.
“I at all times liked Ryan Carter, Stephen Gionta, the way in which they performed. I at all times thought that they introduced vitality. Rising up, I used to be similar to, they have been the fourth line [but] I liked the way in which they performed. They at all times introduced it. Confirmed up in each scenario. So it was fairly cool.”
A fourth-round decide in 2016, Colton is in his second season with the Lightning. He scored 22 targets with 17 assists throughout the common season. That features a red-hot finish of the season when he scored 10 targets in April.
“He’s at all times on the market engaged on one thing,” Tampa Bay ahead Corey Perry stated. “And it’s paying off for him. And to get the possibility to play with him and get to know him, it’s been good. He’s a man that may make performs. He’s fast, he’s bodily.”
Final season, when Tampa Bay gained the Stanley Cup for a second straight time, Colton performed simply 30 common season video games, however participated in all 23 playoff video games, averaging 10:14 time on ice and establishing himself as a key piece of the group.
“This 12 months, entering into some extra minutes and enjoying in numerous conditions, energy play and whatnot,” he stated. “So yeah it’s slightly completely different however identical mindset. Come to the rink day by day, attempt to get higher.”
That mindset doesn't preclude him from acknowledging that enjoying postseason video games not removed from his house is fairly cool, even when towards a staff he grew up despising.
“Kinda loopy to take a seat right here right now, exit at MSG and play,” he stated. “So I’m positively excited.”
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