In Montreal during pregame warmups, Shane Hollander spots Ilya Rozanov across the centerline and skates over. They quietly confirm they are still meeting after the game, and Shane checks if Ilya is all right after returning from Moscow. Shane’s teammate Hayden Walsh notices the exchange, and Shane deflects by saying he offered condolences for Ilya’s father.

During the game, Ilya revels in the familiar rivalry as he and Shane battle for the puck. Moments later, Ilya watches in horror as Shane collides hard with Cliff Marlow and slams into the boards. Shane crumples motionless on the ice, and Ilya panics as medics rush in.

Disoriented, Shane hears Ilya’s unsteady voice asking if Shane is all right, but Shane realizes they are being watched and warns that people can see them. Paramedics immobilize Shane on a spinal board and take him off the ice toward an ambulance; Shane fears he might not walk again, worries about his parents in the stands, and thinks about the playoffs and the scoring race.

Ilya waits until the next morning to visit the hospital because his team is traveling, framing the visit as a captain checking on an injured opponent. He is furious at Marlow despite knowing it was not intentional. At the hospital, Ilya finds Shane alone in his room and learns Shane has a concussion and a fractured collarbone, which will keep Shane out of the playoffs.

Relieved but shaken, Ilya admits Shane scared him, and they share a brief, intimate moment until a nurse interrupts. Shane asks Ilya to come to the cottage so they can have real time alone, and Ilya cannot bring himself to refuse outright, offering a noncommittal “maybe.” When the nurse enters, they separate, and Ilya leaves, forcing himself to focus on chasing the Stanley Cup.