Exit, Stage Left

Three things to start with before I get too far along with this post.

Firstly, I was hoping to do a season synopsis for the Commandos first. However, I've been taking my time putting that together. There are a few aspects of that team that I would like to discuss and quite frankly, I'm still thinking of ways to put it all together. As for the Cats, I basically had the framework of this post thought out in about 20 minutes. That's not a good thing.

Secondly, congratulations to the Victoriaville Tigres on a well deserved playoff series win. Even though it wasn't the result most people in Moncton - myself included - desired, I do take some sort of strange personal victory out of my pre-series comments that Yannick Jean and Brandon Whitney could surprise a few people. These two individuals - as well as the team they are affiliated with - are winners. Even when Moncton did make it tough on the Tigres (which, incidentally, did not occur nearly enough) they found a way to battle through.

Thirdly, this post might very well rub alot of important people the wrong way (assuming anyoneofimportance reads this little amateur hour disguised as witty banter). To them I apologize and can only say that it's how I saw things. I'm not the only one. And I sincerely hope for better days ahead.

Now that that's over with, let's do some breaking down...

If you think I'm upset over what happened tonight, you're more wrong than right. I don't like the end result of this season. However, I didn't like alot of other results that came out of this team as well. This was a hard team to watch some nights. They were an even harder group to get behind. You always hope that at some point, the teams you follow will put it all together in spite of whatever deficiencies they possess. There have been a number of seasons in which the Cats wrapped up the season and I was sorry to see them go. Those teams gave me reason to feel that way. I can't say the same for this year's edition.

When Philippe Maillet scored 32 seconds into overtime to put this edition of the Wildcats' season to it's miserable, enigmatic end, I didn't feel a thing. I liken it to when Barry Bonds broke the all time home run record. I - like much of humanity - didn't like Bonds. Not because of anything he did or didn't do that involved steroids (as I have stated on here previously, I was - and still am - a Mark McGwire fan), but because he was just an outright vile person from my perspective. However, we all knew he was going to break the record. We didn't have to like it... but inevitably, it was going to happen. And when it did, I had no opinion. I wasn't mad. I wasn't sad. I sure as hell wasn't happy. I just was. I didn't care... just like - sadly - I didn't care all that much when tonight's game in Victoriaville ended so abruptly. This team didn't give me reason enough to feel any differently. And to me, that is the worst aspect of this season.

Why was this team so hard to grow attached to? For me, the main reason was that it seldom bore the common characteristics of a winning team. I like to think that following this franchise since it's inception has given me some insight into what constitutes a truly successful team and what is merely just a bunch of skilled players. Fans in Moncton have had the luxury of watching three great teams over the last decade - the 2004 Presidents Cup Finalists, as well as the 2006 and 2010 championship squads. If you look at the rosters of the three teams noted above and have any sense of history regarding the Q, you'll notice right away that all of those clubs were flat out deeper and more talented on paper. However, it runs deeper than that. With those three clubs, you always knew they had that fine combination of skill as well as leadership to not only succeed, but be very likable in the process. If they hit a difficult patch, they usually tried their best to rectify it. They pulled in the same direction.

This year, I didn't see that nearly as much as I would've liked. Instead, what I saw when the chips were down was alot of sooking. Whining all the way to the bench or penalty box. Needless penalties and costly meltdowns. Looking around to see if a cheap penalty could be drawn. There was no Christian Gaudet or Josh Hepditch. No Scott Brannon or David Savard, to name but a few. There really wasn't anyone with that caliber of leadership to reign in the team and get everybody on the same page.

Tonight's game was simply the last example out of many. As the third period progressed, this Wildcats team showed no particular sense of urgency. There was no full court press in Victoriaville territory. No creativity shown. No anger or intensity. If it was a regular season game, you'd look at them and say "They're playing for a point". For a team that we've heard - from more than one source - is "built for the playoffs", they would've been hard pressed to be any more the opposite.  It seemed like they were simply hoping for that one lucky bounce that never came. As great as Whitney played over four of these five games - for my money, he was the unofficial MVP of the series - there were many times where Moncton made him look even better. It got to the point, particularly in this series, where once the Cats crossed the red line you could almost predict what was about to take place. And you knew it probably wouldn't work. As teenagers, these players sometimes need to hear from someone other than a coach that things as they stand are not acceptable and the pace has to be picked up. Did the Wildcats hear this enough (or at all) this season?

A few people are calling this the biggest postseason upset in recent league history. Obviously it's not from a statistical standpoint, but from a tangent perspective it could be. This year's Cat collapse draws character traits from a number of other high profile postseason misfires. Like the 2004 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles,  a large group of players were brought in from one team and found themselves at the epicenter of sometimes unfavorable actions and incidents at the worst possible times. Like the 2006 Chicoutimi Sagueneens, they were a group with a high skill level that ultimately didn't pay the price required to win at this level at the most important time of the year. Like the 2008 Halifax Mooseheads, their prized acquisition at the trade deadline was not at their disposal for the final game of the year (although it should be noted, Halifax's player was scratched while Moncton's was suspended). And like the 2011 Acadie-Bathurst Titan, they were unable to adapt to a team with less skill that was playing a tough system. Ironically, in the Bathurst example, the team and coach they faced was the same one that just eliminated Moncton.

After tonight's game, Danny Flynn refused to talk to the media. Some have already speculated that this is a possible sign of his impending dismissal. Personally, I hope it's not the case. Although that's not exactly popular opinion at this juncture, I have my reasons for believing that Flynn and his crew had less to do with this failure than meets the eye. I think too many people out there this evening are forgetting that this staff is only three years removed from a Memorial Cup berth. For his part, Flynn has four other Memorial Cup appearances (including one win) as well as a CIS Championship under his belt. This guy didn't just wake up one morning and forget how to build and coach a contending team. He knows what it takes. His teams always have a similar hard working trademark about them, no matter how much or how little talent they possess. This team was the least "Danny Flynn" like team I've ever seen - not just from him, from any coach in this club's history.

For these reasons, I have a hard time believing that the Cats' bench boss is the only person with his fingerprints on this team. I also think Robert Irving has been doing whatever he can to bring this organization to the pinnacle of major junior success in this country (particularly since May 29, 2011). And I also know that he has parted ways with at least one coach in the past for failing to deliver the goods after doing his best to make sure the club had as much talent at it's disposal as possible. Just ask Real Paiement how much fun it is to fall short in a contending year in Moncton.

Mr. Irving stood up in front of a group of people back in November and pledged that the organization was working around the clock to bring a squad together in this city that was capable of capturing a national championship. Perhaps he should've been expressing the need for patience and growth as well.

Where does this leave the Cats? The answer to that is, essentially, wandering the desert. I suspect this off season will bring with it alot of hard searching. Searching for answers as to how this season became unraveled. Searching for new hockey personnel, perhaps. Searching for a plan to try and make what is going to be a lengthy rebuild move along as sensibly as possible. And, once the season begins anew once more, searching for success.

Success is a fleeting thing. It can be hard to grasp. Even harder to hold onto. It can take you on an unforgettable journey, like it did to this team twice before. It can also slip through your fingers like a fist full of sand, like it did over the course of the last seven days. The key is to continue reaching. Finding new ways to grab it and hang on and enjoy the ride while it lasts.

But it's every bit as important to remember what didn't work and to avoid that method by all means necessary in the future. At the end of the day, your biggest mistake is every bit as important as your greatest success.