What a playoff season this was for the Pack - all two games of it, that is.

To be honest, I don’t remember much about those games now, two weeks later. I remember that they were both in Hartford and that the guys showed up for about 10 minutes of each. I remember that students of mine drove down from Springfield to witness it, and that I was taunted at school the following week by everyone – even a custodian. I remember that when the season ended, it was with a whimper, and that when I turned back to my seat after saying goodbye – possibly for good – to my game friends, my pocketbook had been stolen. While I waited for the police and security to get their act together, I sat in the arena and watched the glass being taken down. The rink was completely disassembled before the guys even made it to the showers.

There is a comedy that comes to us from Ancient Greece, whose name now escapes me. It tells the story of how the women of two warring cities got together and decided to end the conflict the only way they could – by withholding sex from their men until they stopped fighting. As the story goes, the frustrated men quickly acquiesced and peace ensued. After watching the Pack fold so quickly in the face of a much lesser opponent, this story came to mind – had the players’ wives, girlfriends and boyfriends banded together to ensure a quick end? But, given the ease with which some of these guys pick up an appetizer before dinner, such an edict seems unlikely to cause them to go hungry. There must be another reason.

It’s not easy to pin this year on anyone or anything in particular – except that with each passing season, the Pack look more and more like their big brothers on Broadway.

There was plenty of talent to start the year, but injuries and call-ups decimated the lineup, leading to 48 (at last count – playoff stats were never released) players wearing the Pack sweater this season.

There were kids who played injured and vets who dogged it.

There was a player who brought his personal demons onto the ice with him, causing an uproar among fans (and quietly, among teammates) when he continued to be defended by management even after his downside had long eclipsed anything positive he contributed.

There was a lack of leadership on the team that was seen in the coach going with only one alternate captain for much of the season, and for a short time with none at all.

There was the vet with a history of success, imported to add character and grit to the team, but who's signature turned out to be pointing fingers at other players, not at leading by example through accountability.

There was the GM who made the move to another franchise before the season was even over, after being allowed to continue making questionable trades even after the news of his departure broke.

There was a coach who had never worked at this level before, and clearly was out of his league – and dealt with it by badmouthing players to the press while reassuring the guys in the locker room that all was fine.

There was a more experienced assistant coach who was being groomed to move up to the next level, but wasted much of his season trying to keep tabs on the bad boy he had begged the GM to sign so he could rehabilitate him.

Between the two coaches, nothing resembling a system or even a plan for special teams was ever developed. When pressed, they complained about the youth they were stuck with. That youth, demoralized, sat and watched for much of the second half of the season as vets with questionable skills – some of whom were back after having been released by the Pack before – were brought in to take their places.

Seen in that light, I guess it's not too hard to figure out what went wrong, is it?

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