Perspective

[Grypho 195]

Consider the following hypothetical - go with me on this for a sec:

What if, hypothetically, the Wings hadn't even made the playoffs (and, as I recall, they weren't expected to this year)? Furthermore, what if the NHL had (magically) instituted a special wild card rule, one that allowed a single team, one that didn't make the playoffs, a single long shot attempt at getting into the race for the Cup?

The hypothetical wild card rule works like this: one team is drawn at random from a lottery. That team gets to leap frog completely over the quarterfinals, and instead faces a single, top seeded, semifinal opponent. But there's a hitch. Each game is sudden death. If your team loses a game, the race is over. If they win, however, they get to play another. If a wild card team wins four times in a row, that team gets to take the place of the top seeded team that it beat, and they immediately advance to the conference finals.

I cannot think of a single team that didn't make the playoffs this year that wouldn't JUMP FOR FRICKEN JOY at a chance like that. Even with the long shot odds -- even if it was to see their team compete for one game -- especially one that was connected to a viable path to the Stanley Cup. They wouldn't be moping about it, complaining about it. Their team was OUT anyway, and some shot is always better than no shot.

...and yet that's exactly where the Wings are now. With exactly that chance/opportunity. They do have a shot. A long shot to be sure, but it is still very much a viable path to the Cup, and what could be a very exciting game to watch (not to mention enjoy -- WIN OR LOSE). And almost nobody is excited about it! But with a little perspective, and a lot of love for hockey, it really shouldn't be that hard.

Anyway, food for thought. It's a mind trick to be sure, a change in perspective, but one that I have used on myself in the past - one that helped me thoroughly enjoy a few must-win Sharks games in the past, win or lose.

[stevieisthebest 80]

Good post, interesting idea. I'm really excited for game 4, even though its hard to see even the slightest bit of light at the end of the tunnel. I'm going to the game tomorrow, and I will thoroughly enjoy it, it's a race to 4 wins, and neither team has finished yet. The wings just need a do or die, one game at a time mentality.

[YzermanLives 3]

See where yer going with this.

And yah I agree.

Waiting till it's over to mourn a season.

But if a loss happens, I won't regret 1 second of it

That's my team. Win or lose.

So until the chubby chick sings. I'll hang in there

but if she Does I'll sit and listen.