And in the end...

The season has officially ended. The ice at Nationwide Arena that bore witness to the CBJ's first postseason berth is being thawed as we speak, likely to be unceremoniously dumped back into the sewers of the great city of Columbus. My trusty jersey (still an "old" third instead of one of the snazzy new RBK Edge ones. I likes my laces, dammit!) is ready to be put back on its hanger in the closet, and my civil war cap will go back on the shelf in The Shrine at work. Better there than at home, where it can potentially be mauled by the cat. And, all in all, I'm happy. Sure, we got swept by Detroit. Sure, at least two of the games were barely even watchable if you were pulling for Columbus. But I really get the impression from reading the news today that game 4, regardless of the final score, served as a wake-up-call for the entire hockey universe.
The Blue Jackets are no longer easy pickings.
They are the real deal.
FINALLY.
Welcome to the show, boys.