Washington, D.C. - The D.C. Dragons have been swept in the wildcard round by a very young Chicago Phoenix team who seem to have mastered chemistry already. While D.C. wasn't expected to really make much noise this season, some fans are still left disappointed and feel that the team underachieved. Other fans, however, recognize that the window for the Dragons to compete is still open and hope that this season can just be banked experience for a mostly young core, and new vets trying to mesh together. What is a bit puzzling however is that management decided to roll with the same lines and matchups despite being down 2 games to none early on against Chicago. It is understood that these lines were successful against the Phoenix early on in the regular season, however it is now easy to assess that this may not have been the best plan of action while trying to stay alive in the wildcard round. Luckily the future remains bright for D.C., who hope to distance themselves from the "mid" stigma that fans of other teams love to meme. Rookies Lavelle and Utonium continue to progress nicely and have each had solid rookie seasons. Young D prospect Baxter Arcanum is expected to make the jump to the VHL next season as well, replacing Funk Jr who is set to retire. The Dragons glaring roster hole remains on the 2nd forward line, but if management is able to make some moves to solve that puzzle during this upcoming off season, then D.C. fans have a LOT to look forward to these next couple of seasons.