As for being irrationally optimistic, we have rays of sunshine after a long, crappy, stormy winter. Is the on ice product not better going into this year? Did we not go up in the standings, and us much as I hate to paraphrase Benning, were we not playing meaningful games in March? Do Myers, Miller, Benn and Ferland not make the team better then Hutton, Pouliot, Granlund and Gaunce? Did we not just dump Del Zotto, Nilsson, Gagner, and Gudbranson and are trying (according to the media) to dump Sutter and Eriksson? Does none of that merit any kind of optimism? We have improved and the rest of the division has stagnated or regressed, that's cause for some optimism. It can be that false spring we are used to getting in March these last few years, but is anyone complaining about that brief few days of good weather?