Do or Die | COLUMN

The greatest spectacle in all of sports is upon us.
Game 7.
Very few things can compare to the finale of a best-of-seven series that goes the distance. Two evenly matched teams doing battle all the way to the bitter end.
The Devils and Rangers are aware of what's at
stake tonight when they face off at Prudential Center
when the puck drops at 8 p.m. Both teams' survival is on the line. Every play could prove pivotal. Every mistake could prove fatal.
"It comes down to one game," blueliner Ryan Graves said. "It's one of the most exciting things in hockey. It's something very cool in sports, a winner-take-all game, especially when it's a rivalry like the New York - Jersey one."
"With Game 7 there are no more (games)," defenseman John Marino said. "You just have to leave it all out there."
"It's the biggest game of the season," veteran Erik Haula said. "Game 7s are always magnified because one team keeps going and one goes home."

We've all heard the cliches and what they mean: do-or-die, no tomorrow, winner takes all.
But what it really means - and what's at stake - is that an entire year's worth of work and both teams' Stanley Cup championship aspirations come down to one final 60-minute (at least) affair.
It's the biggest stage and the highest stakes. It's where heroes are made. It's where legends are born.
Think of all the grueling work that has been done to reach this point.
Think of all the work that was put in during the offseason. The coaches pouring over hours of film in search of ways to improve their club. The players making their way through the hot summer heat to the gym to craft and conditioning their bodies. The players making their way to an ice surface to craft and hone their skills.
Think of the month of work that was put in during training camp. The long days in the gym, in the video room, in the meeting room, two sessions a day on the ice. The intense competition in scrimmages and pre-season games for roster spots, for jobs, for ice time, for roles.
Think of the demanding 82-game regular season. The highs and lows, bumps and bruises, injuries, fatigue, the victories, the achievements, the failures, the errors, the glory. The 0-2 start to the season and the emotional weight of early frustration.
"I'm sick of being on a bad team," Miles Wood said.
The emotional roller coaster of the 13-game winning streak and 18-1-1 run that followed. The 1-7-1 dip in mid-December. The 4-2 victory at Pittsburgh that propelled the bounce back 9-1-2 run, which included a 4-0-1 road swing through the West. The record-setting 52 wins, 112 points, 49-point season-to-season improvement and home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
Think of two matching 5-1 losses in Games 1 and 2 to the Rangers at home and the daunting task of having to win the next two games on the road just to break even. Think of winning those next two games at Madison Square Garden, Game 3 in overtime. Think of a dominant 4-0 win in Game 5 to push the Rangers to the brink of elimination and pulling within arm's length of the Second Round. Think of the disappointment in not closing the deal in a 5-2 loss in Game 6.
Think of all the physical demands of ailing bodies and the intense, emotional mental toll.
And still, one more game to decide it all.
"I'm excited to be honest," Haula said. "It's been a great series. It's been a lot of fun and the better team will move forward."
Think of all the time and energy it took to reach this point. All those little moments that have built to this grand moment. Those mornings when you wake with aches and discomforts in the body. Pushing yourself through the pain in the gym or on the ice. Working drill after drill after drill until it becomes muscle memory, hunched over and gasping for oxygen. Wearing ice packs after practice and physical therapy to recover, only to do it again the next day. And the next day. And the next week. And the next month. For a full year.
For the love of the game.
For the dream of winning a championship.
Tonight, both teams have an opportunity to keep that dream alive. Tonight, both teams have an opportunity that every team in the NHL would love to have - a chance to advance to the Second Round as one of only eight teams still alive, 24 teams having their dreams terminated.
Everything both teams did al year has helped them reach this point. It's all led to this one moment, to this one game.
Yet, everything both teams have done all year doesn't matter anymore. All the records, achievements and accolades of the 82-game regular season and six-game playoffs won't have any bearing on the outcome (just ask Boston or Colorado).
The only thing that matters is tonight.
The only thing that matters is Game 7.
Both teams will lay it all on the line. The game could be decided in every shift, every hit, every shot, every save, every pass, every scoring chance, every puck play. The difference between winning and losing will be determined by the smallest of margins.
"Every play matters," Marino said, "whether there's one minute left in the period, 30 seconds, every shift, every puck battle, every little play is going to make that difference, especially in a Game 7 situation."
The smallest of margins will determine the difference between advancement and extinction.
When the puck drops, it will be the beginning of the end for one of these two teams. When the final horn sounds and every last ounce of energy, sweat and will has been expended, only one team will survive.
The Devils and Rangers are aware of what's at stake.
Everything.