“Sliding door moments” are, according to psychologist Dr. John Gottman, “seemingly inconsequential everyday moments...that make or break the most important relationships in our lives.”
The term was coined from the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow film. In it, two alternate, dramatically different futures unfold for a woman, based on whether she catches or misses a train.
A hockey game is full of sliding door moments, which lead to a loss or a win. A hockey season is also full of such moments, which lead to missing the playoffs or hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Evander Kane was faced with a sliding door moment in the overtime of the San Jose Sharks’ 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.