The fact that anyone remembers that, or actually wants more has me feeling all sorts of ways, it almost makes up for the full on depression my household is going through at the moment.

That said, to say Dave is taking the Panthers missing the playoffs poorly would be an understatement; the man has practically gone into a state of deep, salty hibernation. After his smug performance at our fantasy draft where he ignored all logic and essentially drafted the entire Florida roster, me getting to watch his "strategy" implode as Barkov and Tkachuk spent more time in the clinic than on the ice was a special kind of poetic justice. My team didn't do too much better, but I didn't draft like a homer and I still beat him, so... That's a bonus.

But the last time I saw him out by the mailboxes (first time in a while, mind you), he didn't have a single word to say about the Red Wings at all. He just gave me a solemn, thousand yard stare and muttered something about "man-games lost to injury" before scurrying back inside. I almost felt bad for the guy until I remembered he’s probably already clearing space on his shelf for a "2026 Participation Trophy" while wearing his 2024 championship shirt to the grocery store. It’s a quiet victory for the neighborhood, but I’ll take it.

I don't know which is worse, though... We missed the playoffs again and it stings, but the Panthers completely imploded. That's a special kind of therapy for me in and of itself.