The elation of making the playoffs is tempered just a few minutes later as the team announced this evening that their schedule, whether against Rockford or Milwaukee, will be played entirely on the road.
A three-game playoff series, which is what Texas has just qualified for with tonight's win, would normally go in a 1-2 format with the lower seed, the Stars in this case, hosting the opening game. If the teams were closer than 300 miles, the series would go 1-1-1.
It's absolutely an unfair situation for the team. There's no two ways about it. After crawling out of the absolute bottom of the division, this is not the reward they were hoping for.