We Can Win this Thing!
April 25, 2009
There is always a chance that eating a piece of meat that has been thawed, then refrozen and thawed again won’t make the person consuming it sick. Despite what grandmother may have said to all of us, there is a chance that preparing a slab of beef that has gone through that preparation will not automatically create a long evening spent in a crouched position in your bathroom. Many a college-aged boy and subsequent bachelor can attest to that.
Well, the Outlaws are hoping they to are fresh when they thaw themselves out a second time this season for the national tournament this week and though history may say there is strong possibility of disspointment, there is a chance. Since 2004, three other teams have been in a similar situation to the Outlaws including the 2005 Bismarck Bobcats, 2006 Mahoning Valley Phantoms and 2007 Fairbanks Ice Dogs and combined those teams 0-11.
Yep..0-11!
However, I just don’t see the Outlaws being swept at home even though their recent playoff success on home ice has been as infrequent as seeing sail boats on Clear Lake in January. There are a few “gut” reasons to my belief the Outlaws’ not only will win a game but have an outside shot at winning the tournament on the 20th anniversary of the when the Huskies did it in Chicago in 1989.
For starters, two of the Outlaws’ opponents are beatable in the West and Central Divisions. Regardless of the opponent from the Central, familiarity tells the Outlaws they have a chance to pull it off and when it comes to the West Division, speculation is that was the weakest group of teams the NAHL had this season. Now neither game will be easy, and of course while the West may be weak it’s all relative…we aren’t talking Motor City or Albert Lea! However, they are winnable games.
If the Outlaws can win those two games, then all they’ll have to do is defeat either the North or South champ and they’ll be in a position to go to the Championship game. Defeating both will be tough but it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think the Outlaws’ can steal one of those two.
Yes, it’s all a long shot and history isn’t in the corner of the Outlaws’ but what do we all have to lose by giving ourselves a little bit of hope. No matter what happens, expectations are low but as anyone who follows sports knows…it’s usually the one’s with the least amount of expectations who provide the most lasting positive memories!
