{"time":1772508390214,"blocks":[{"id":"KnC2sPtSpY","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The final five minutes in Vancouver felt longer than the clock suggested."}},{"id":"LkVLGZkllz","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Up 2–1 on the road, the Toronto Sceptres absorbed waves of attack from the Goldeneyes. The puck was funneled from the walls to the point, shot lanes opened and closed, and when Vancouver pulled its goaltender, the margin narrowed even further. "}},{"id":"g4YafOFjd2","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Raygan Kirk didn’t look fazed."}},{"id":"AF4a1GDmQH","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“I think just being able to get whistles and getting a few of those glove saves… getting the covers and getting the whistles helps you slow the game down,” she said afterward."}},{"id":"4Rt_32PKxk","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Slow the game down. That phrase captures what defined Toronto’s 2–1 win in Vancouver on March 1, and the 5-2 victory in Seattle two nights earlier. Over the two-game west coast swing, Kirk stopped 54 of 57 shots, good for a .947 save percentage. The performance was decisive. But it wasn’t accidental."}},{"id":"Xs-KrKheNL","type":"header","data":{"text":"The Month Between","level":3,"linkUrl":"","anchor":""}},{"id":"JdEsPmL1Gk","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"When the league paused for the Olympic break, several Sceptres traveled to Italy. Kirk stayed in Toronto."}},{"id":"mm9qfgdk","type":"video","data":{"url":"https://us-central1-deweb-519a7.cloudfunctions.net/mediaService-api/videos/7d074225-93c5-43e8-89ac-241c6d30284a/mp4","caption":"","autoplay":false,"controls":true,"muted":false,"stretched":true,"width":0,"height":0,"image":{"url":"https://us-central1-deweb-519a7.cloudfunctions.net/mediaService-api/videos/7d074225-93c5-43e8-89ac-241c6d30284a/thumbnail"},"cdn":{"videoId":"7d074225-93c5-43e8-89ac-241c6d30284a","libraryId":"372172","collectionId":"30032062-eefd-4041-a355-12ad05bc987b","cdnBaseUrl":"https://vz-052fc010-b27.b-cdn.net","mp4Url":"https://us-central1-deweb-519a7.cloudfunctions.net/mediaService-api/videos/7d074225-93c5-43e8-89ac-241c6d30284a/mp4","thumbnailUrl":"https://us-central1-deweb-519a7.cloudfunctions.net/mediaService-api/videos/7d074225-93c5-43e8-89ac-241c6d30284a/thumbnail","previewAnimationUrl":"https://vz-052fc010-b27.b-cdn.net/7d074225-93c5-43e8-89ac-241c6d30284a/preview.webp"}}},{"id":"uipJLjpMZf","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“I think my body definitely felt the month off from games, especially on the penalty kill — that just takes time to get back into,” she said in Seattle. “But having three goalies and getting those reps, being able to focus on the little things you’ve wanted to work on throughout the year — getting a whole stretch of practices — that really helps as a goalie.”"}},{"id":"AMElcDTj5o","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"In January, Toronto had visited the same two buildings and left with a different result. On Jan. 20 in Seattle, Kirk allowed six goals in a 6–3 loss, finishing with an .818 save percentage. It was her toughest outing of the season."}},{"id":"xu0iyj6Ztr","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"She hadn’t forgotten."}},{"id":"zkRHcI3SgE","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“Not being happy with my performance last time we were out west,” she said, reflecting on the recent trip. “Getting to work on little things and then getting basically a whole month to prepare for these two games — I think that really helped me build.”"}},{"id":"cQCff29md9","type":"header","data":{"text":"The Switch","level":3,"linkUrl":"","anchor":""}},{"id":"h3BAqic8GC","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Back in December, long before the Olympic break, Kirk had described the mental shift that reshaped her game."}},{"id":"gamu628BDV","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“I just kind of turned this switch,” she said. “Not in a selfish way — obviously being a team player — but just worrying about what I can control and playing with that edge. Whatever the score was, I knew what I was doing and what I could handle.”"}},{"id":"2Ge-f1PkBT","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The switch didn’t arrive overnight. It began during her final collegiate season, after stretches of sharing the net and navigating uncertainty. "}},{"id":"4Hwai9zQ_Y","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“That’s something I try to focus on during games and in practice, because that’s where you build your confidence,” she said. “Just trying to be consistent in that way — the girls always know what to expect whenever I’m in.”"}},{"id":"-LoY6wF-DG","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Consistency, not peaks. Through 13 appearances, Kirk carries a .920 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average, logging 747 minutes — more than double the workload of Elaine Chuli. The tandem has tilted and Kirk has assumed the No. 1 role."}},{"id":"pl1P99MA2U","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"But the numbers only tell part of the story. The trend matters more."}},{"id":"ufruwter-M","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Earlier volatility — an .818 outing against Boston, another in Seattle — has given way to stability. In her two starts since the break, she has allowed three total goals. Kirk made some big saves at pivotal moments in both games, and looked composed and calm in the net."}},{"id":"m6fo_bFa0P","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"That composure isn’t accidental either."}},{"id":"sNLIr0k3lt","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“Relaxed,” she said when asked in December to describe her mental state. “When I get too up, I play really tense. So I just tell myself to relax and let my hands do the work.”"}},{"id":"a2r6s4muWr","type":"delimiter","data":{}},{"id":"ZDkPFnngMY","type":"header","data":{"text":"Control and Confidence","level":3,"linkUrl":"","anchor":""}},{"id":"lUyJRVHWKL","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"She also spoke about confidence: \"Having the experience from last year, you just have to play with that mindset and swagger almost, I guess is what I try, even though I'm not really that person off the ice, so you really just have to play like that. That's how I felt has helped me.\""}},{"id":"aogdgW4U92","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“A lot of it is out of my control,” she said when discussing the tandem dynamic earlier this season. “I just always have the mindset that I’m playing.”"}},{"id":"Gcac1160-9","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"That mindset — always assuming you’re in — simplifies preparation and keeps her approach steady, regardless of opponent or schedule. It shows up in how the group plays in front of her."}},{"id":"W4sabDVOrO","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“When they see that you’re on, that gives them a boost,” she said. “That confidence that if something slips through, you’ve got it.”"}},{"id":"Xm-Z2nv0lN","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Defender Renata Fast echoed that sentiment."}},{"id":"jQKw2XLE-j","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“One thing that’s been really impressive about Kirky this season is how calm she is back there,” Fast said. “As a D-core, we’re constantly talking about how nice it is to have a goalie who’s that steady.”"}},{"id":"QNWYOND-2Y","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"In Vancouver, when the Goldeneyes pushed late, Kirk absorbed and covered. "}},{"id":"D7LkByhQZr","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“I thought the girls were blocking shots and clearing rebounds when we needed to,” Kirk said. “That helps a lot.”"}},{"id":"efb9brXs5a","type":"delimiter","data":{}},{"id":"YIjMQGobrp","type":"header","data":{"text":"A Response, Not a Redemption","level":3,"linkUrl":"","anchor":""}},{"id":"-Aj5O0PXxK","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"It would be easy to frame the west coast swing as redemption — a neat mirror image from a difficult January trip to two wins in the same buildings."}},{"id":"B95mFjvFJD","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Kirk doesn’t see it that way. The Olympic break wasn’t about rest. It was about practice — a chance to work on details that had bothered her, to reset technically, and to return sharper."}},{"id":"FhoIODHG9o","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"In Seattle and Vancouver, the difference showed. And the Sceptres came away with six huge points in the standings."}},{"id":"k5fB9bUs5X","type":"delimiter","data":{}},{"id":"8Ts9VFGNrY","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Follow C Benwell on X @gamedayhky on YouTube @gamedayhockey and on Instagram @gamedayhky "}}],"version":"2.31.0"}

Sweden Wins Gold At Youth Olympic Games