Prompt 2

Of those three scenarios, I'd say the most tense is when things are tied up. Although things might be a little different in context (ex. the last few minutes of an elimination game of the playoffs, probably playing for your life and being down 1 is the most tense) but when there's no context, a tie game could be changed in an instant with the smallest mistake or play made by anyone on the ice. When teams are up a goal or down a goal, there are several situations they've practiced for; the game takes a different tone. But in a tie game, everyone's doing what they can to break the tie - that is, everybody on the ice is in the exact same mindset. You've practiced it thousands of times before, the one set piece that is your guaranteed tie-breaker - but does it work this time? Against this team? That's had your number all game and somehow you're still tied? Who knows. It's a toss-up every time when the score's tied.