The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a stressful time. For players and fans, so much is on the line. Hockey players have dreamt of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup above their heads in victory since childhood, while fans hope upon hope that they’ll get to see their team skate the most coveted trophy in sports around the ice as they’re crowned the NHL’s best team. But for Washington Capitals fans, that annual stress has grown into soul-clenching dread.
It has practically become a rite of spring for the Capitals to enter the playoffs as one of the best teams in the league and then watch them flame out in heartbreaking fashion. It’s the fact they’re so good and that they have one of the league best players—three-time MVP Alex Ovechkin—that makes it so frustrating for fans. Just look at headlines from the last few years of early playoff exits:
- “Washington Capitals Playoff Exit: A Tradition That’s Getting Old”
- “For the Cursed Washington Capitals, Another Season Ends in Heartbreak”
- “The Storied Tradition Of Capitals Collapses”
- “The Capitals Blew It Again”
Yikes. That’s grim. No wonder Caps fans seem a little tense around this time of year. As if sensing the need to ease their fans’ psychic burden, the team has come up with a solution: free yoga.
The Capitals created a program called Playoff Stress Yoga, where the morning of each game during the Stanley Cup run, they’ll host a 6:30 a.m. yoga session at the team’s training facility. Fans are able to do some down dog and child’s pose, led by instructor Kelly Moore, who also works with players throughout the season. But Moore plays down the team’s acknowledgement of the fans’ existential dread.
“The whole de-stress—we mean that tongue and cheek,” Moore told the Washingtonian. “We just want to get the fans involved, and it’s just our way of getting them involved in the playoffs’ excitement.”
It hasn’t been all excitement so far this playoff season. Caps fans already needed to enter a deep state of physiological and psychological relaxation when the team got off to a rocky start. They lost some heartbreaking games in the first round and the old anxiety returned. But the team was able to right themselves and defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. Now they will now face their hated rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, which means another round of yoga that people can sign up for here.
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Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.