Raw Charge

The power of 8: Kings take the underdog route to the Finals

2012-05-27T01:39:37Z

Prior to this season, no team had ever beaten the #1 and #2 seeds in the first two rounds of the NHL Playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings accomplished this feat, eliminating the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues, while also knocking off the #3 Phoenix Coyotes for the Western Conference title for good measure. If they go on to beat the New Jersey Devils to win the Stanley Cup, they will become the first #8 seed to do so.

Are the Kings the best underdog in the history of the NHL? Only if you consider them to be underdogs.

Much is made of the so-called "second season" in the NHL. The logic being that if you can just get into the playoffs, everything resets to a 0-0 record and anything can happen. Yet, history shows us that very few teams actually go on to capitalize on that opportunity.

Under the current playoff structure, two conferences with three division champions and five at-large "wildcard" teams each, which has been in place since the 1998-99 season, only one #8 seed (#5 wildcard) has made it as far as the Stanley Cup Finals. That was the Edmonton Oliers in 2006. They went as far as you can go without winning it all, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games. During that time, only three #7 seeds made it to the Finals: the '99 Buffalo Sabres, the '03 Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the '10 Philadelphia Flyers. All fell short of winning the Cup. The lowest seeds to win it all since 1999 were a pair of #4s (the #1 wild cards), the '00 New Jersey Devils and the '09 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Of course, the NHL has been around a long time and has been sending 16 teams to the postseason since the 1979-80 season. In 1994, the #7 Canucks made it to the Finals before falling to the New York Rangers.

Some other historic NHL underdogs:

The '82 Canucks posted a regular season record of 30-33-17 but qualified for the playoffs, and made it to the Finals before being swept by the New York Islanders
The '91 Minnesota North Stars followed a similar path, amassing a mere 68 points with a regular season record of 27-39-14 but got all the way to the Finals before succumbing to the Penguins in six games.
In only their third season, the '96 Florida Panthers played the underdog role all season. They fell short of winning a division but their 41-31-10 record was good enough for a #4 seed, which they carried into the Finals before being swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

Based on this history, it could be argued that these #8 Kings already merit discussion as the greatest underdog in NHL history, and that a Cup victory would cinch it. Maybe, but that might depend on how you define "underdog".

In spite of their low seed, the Kings are not exactly a ragtag, bargain-basement band of misfits and outcasts who have come out of nowhere to defy the odds. As Raw Charge Managing Editor John Fontana points out, "In the popular sense of the term, the Kings aren't really underdogs. They under-performed in the regular season in a very tight and competitive conference. Or, one can dress down the entire league this season and say that the Kings were a minion of parity - part of the mediocrity that was prevalent during the regular season in 2011-12."

Indeed, the Kings boast a talented roster with Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Penner, Mike Richards, Justin Williams and Jonathan Quick. This group finished 40-27-15, notching 95 points which would have qualified for the #6 slot in the Eastern Conference. Three more points is all that separated them from the Pacific Division title and the #3 seed.

Still, they came into this postseason as the #8 seed which means they will have not had the benefit of home ice advantage in any series. Not that they've suffered as a result. They're a remarkable 8-0 on the road, suffering their only two losses so far at home. They dispatched Vancouver in five games, St. Louis in four and Phoenix in five. All this on behalf of a franchise that had won a grand total of one division and one conference title since entering the league for the 1967-68 season.

So whether or not you consider them a true underdog, the Kings are on the brink of making history. They haven't taken the easy route, even if they've made it look that way.

About those goalies: Steve Yzerman talks about finding a goalie

2012-05-25T15:13:33Z

In the days since I posted about the options that Steve Yzerman has for the goaltending position next season, a small amount of information has driven a large amount of speculation. Steve Yzerman gave an interview with radio station WDAE on Thursday in which he talked about what he's looking for in net, and this set off a lot of speculation and talk across the interwebz.

Unsurprisingly, it seems that the player Yzerman is looking for is the same player that everyone else wants: an elite goalie, a future Hall of Famer, young but with some experience, whom the club can count on for years to come. "A twenty-year old [version] of Martin Brodeur," in Yzerman's words. [i.e., not Roberto Luongo. Er. maybe.]

via Damian Cristodero from Lightning Strikes

The Lightning, leading up to free agency, will look to trade for a No. 1 goaltender, general manager Steve Yzerman said.

"My preference," Yzerman said Thursday night, "is to go with a little bit younger guy that maybe has a little less experience that can step up and play well for us now."

That player--a young, moderately experienced, future elite goalie who can hit the ground running-- sounds a lot like Cory Schneider.

Schneider, however, isn't available. We should be aware that the market is going to dictate much of Yzerman's decision. Compromise will almost certainly be necessary, and Yzerman is aware of that. His preferences are to trade for his future Hall of Famer, and if that doesn't work out, wait for free agency. And he seemed to be open to the option of signing a veteran to partner with Mathieu Garon for a year. All pretty much what you'd expect.

We also need to be aware, however, that these statements don't get made without a reason.

There is an element of gamesmanship in interviews like these. That's not to say that Yzerman is being deceitful, only that his public statements are not made thoughtlessly. He knows what kind of information he wants out there about his situation. He knows he has to balance public speculation with private conversations. We'd be naive, however, to assume that the fans are the only consumers of this information about his position,

What Yzerman essentially told us is that he wants something someone isn't giving him and that he isn't sold on what is available. He does strengthen his position in negotiations by saying publicly that he has needs that his negotiating partner(s) cannot or will not meet. It sounds very much like a statement that he is willing to walk away if what's on offer doesn't get better.

It doesn't follow that Yzerman is only talking to the Canucks here, though. In terms of the ideal Yzerman set forth, there are three (possibly four) netminders who could be involved: Schneider, Jonathan Bernier, Tuukka Rask, and Anders Lindback. They each have a different mix of availability and credentials. I discount Rask and Schneider's availability altogether, and I doubt that serious negotiations for Lindback would require a public statement of willingness to walk away. But Bernier could still be in play.

These public statements also have implications for the future of Dustin Tokarski and Jaroslav Janus. At no time did Yzerman address the depth in the system. It could be that that was a function of what questions were asked, but he is definitely looking outside the system for his long-term solution. While he hasn't apparently ruled out relying on either of these players, he did not take this opportunity to express confidence in their ability to take the club where it needs to go in the next year or two. That silence says a little something about where his thinking is on the two AHLers.

It seems to me that a public announcement of negotiating position like this has two purposes. One is to alert the fans that while the team is working on achieving a long-term solution in net, that solution may not be forthcoming this summer. The other is to reinforce positions stated in private conversations. By taking Lightning fans' expectations out of the negotiating room. he is opening a door that he can use to exit negotiations that don't meet his needs. And really, isn't that what we want, even if it means another period of no more than journeyman goaltending?

Wading into the fray on While the Men Watch

2012-05-24T16:01:13Z

The CBC announced yesterday that it would be airing a little something for those hockey widows during the Stanley Cup Final. Now, that sort of thing doesn't really affect us here in the states, but there's been a lot of outrage over the decision. This show is being described as, "Sex and the City meets ESPN, with banter "from a woman's point of view" ".

(You can visit the blog, While the Men Watch , to get an idea of what this show may be like.)

The problem isn't that this is going on. In fact, the CBC ought to be applauded for even trying to reach out to women who happen to like sports. The real problem is that they're going about it the entirely wrong way.

Perhaps it is the fact that being a female and a hockey fan is a novelty that makes this practice so widespread, but the greater problem here is that as a female hockey fan, a female hockey fan is defined as female first and hockey fan second. The writers of While the Men Watch perpetrate this stereotype and this is the greatest folly of their endeavor, not , as I would like to argue, the way that they watch hockey.

-While the Men Watch; A Terrible Idea

This type of thing can be considered the TV and/or blogging equivalent to the pink, bedazzled hockey jersey. It works for a very few women, but not the majority. It's a good idea in theory, but a bad idea in execution.

And that's what's going on - and has been going on - here. This isn't a singular instance of misunderstanding what women want out of the sport. It's just another poorly thought out attempt at trying to be helpful.

Sure, some women will love this - and good for them. Have at it. Enjoy. But for the rest, it's not at all what they want.

What female hockey fans want is to be treated like...well, fans. It doesn't have to be anything all that extravagant - just stuff that fits a smaller frame than men, when it comes to clothing merchandise. Essentially, that's pretty much it. Don't market anything specifically for us necessarily; what works for the men pretty much works for us, too. Just let us be equals, and we'll be happy.

Marsha Boyd, an Edmonton Oilers season-ticket holder, agreed and said she has a group of female friends who love hockey just as much as the guys do.

"It’s quite insulting to anyone who’s a woman and a sports fan, as if we don’t exist or we can’t possibly enjoy hockey without looking at pretty boys," she said.

-CBC defends decision to air alternate female commentary during Stanley Cup final

Now, I'm not outraged here. Hockey is trying to reach out; they really are. But they're not asking what female fans want first, or are even seemingly interested in their feedback. They're just making their best guess and hope it makes the majority of female fans happy. It's classic of at least NHL marketing - do something, then throw it at the wall and see if it sticks. Has no one ever heard of focus groups?

Now, I happen to do an online hockey show with my friend Su Ring, and we talk about all levels of hockey. There is no Sex and the City aspect to it at all, nor do we even want that. The female angle is perhaps just being a bit more empathetic, that's it.

In fact, we even interview hockey types about hockey. Last weekend, for instance, we interviewed former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman - now current Seattle Thunderbirds' (WHL) assistant coach - Darren Rumble. I invite you to take a listen to it, and see if you think women need this sex aspect in order to keep things interesting. You can find it at CCPT Hockey Show on BlogTalkRadio .

Quick strikes and links

2012-05-23T19:00:45Z

The biggest news for the Lightning this week? The fact that their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals have swept the Eastern Conference Finals and will be playing for the Calder Cup.

This is newsworthy in so many different ways, but one of the angles that's been, perhaps, a bit overlooked is, does this mean that Steve Yzerman's plan is working? Has he, in such short time created a system that is going to develop talent with which the organization can build from within? There are a hundred arguments for each side, and obviously, we're still a long time from knowing the true answer, but, perhaps Norfolk's success is another reason to give Stevie the benefit of the doubt.

Below are your Lightning links from the week, with some links from the rest of the league after the jump.

Your Lightning Links:

The Hockey Writers did a two-round mock draft, and their results for who the Lightning choose may surprise you.
Ryan Shannon has bounced for the Swiss League and will not be back with Bolts next season.
Here's a pretty great story: Remember David Carle? Brother of Matt Carle and a last round draft pick - having been diagnosed with a heart condition just prior to the draft - of the Lightning? He's been chosen for a job as a coach in the USHL. It's stories like this that prove that hockey is the greatest sport on Earth.

Your NHL Links:

John MacKinnon of The Edmonton Journal is none too impressed with the firing of Tom Renney. This sounds strangely familiar to when John Tortorella was kicked off the Bolts' island...
The owners can blame themselves when the next lockout happens, and Ryan Miller is not pleased about it.
Speaking of the lockout, Gary Bettman shows that he's completely clueless once again. "Our fans were not only tolerant and patient, but were extremely supportive," Oh really? Is that why TV viewership was the worst it has ever been the year after the lockout?
It's been said that coaching Juniors if much easier than coaching the pros because young kids will do what a coach says in order to be drafted. As such, Patrick Roy should really look at all sides of possibly coaching the Montreal Canadiens.
In a sign that could further signal the end of the Tim Thomas era, the Boston Bruins have added some goalie depth.
And finally, for those of you looking for pretty much any game stat ever, here's your site.

TSN's Off-Season Game Plan: Tampa Bay Lightning

2012-05-23T14:44:58Z

TSN's Off-Season Game Plan: Tampa Bay Lightning

The most interesting quote to me:
"Prospect Mark Barberio is a possibility and Tampa Bay would be wise to invest in a proven top four defenceman. Free agents like Brad Stuart, Barret Jackman or Johnny Oduya would add an element of safe and reliable that has generally been lacking in recent seasons."

As a Blues fan, I would frankly be very surprised if Jackman doesn't return to St. Louis. He's a fan favorite and team captain, though Tampa has gotten good mileage from Blues captains in the past.

Norfolk Admirals win AHL’s Eastern Conference – sweep St. John’s IceCaps

2012-05-23T00:37:37Z

The Tampa Bay Lightning's minor league affiliates have never been known for competitiveness or success. In the past, it seemed the concept of a minor league affiliate seemed to be an after-thought as the Bolts decided they would be better off investing in the NHL club. Player development? Please...

Yet things change. For the first time ever, the Lightning's top minor-league affiliate will be vying for the AHL's top prize - the Calder Cup.

The Norfolk Admirals - they of the epic 28 game winning streak - have completed a sweep of the St. John's IceCaps (AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets) to claim the AHL's Eastern Conference title with a 4-0 victory this evening in St. John's. The Admirals now await the winner of the AHL's Western Conference final between the Oklahoma City Barons (Edmonton Oilers) and the Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs).

The Ads saw goals from Tyler Johnson, Evan Oberg, Trevor Smith and Brandon Segal as well as stellar goaltending from Dustin Tokarski, who posted his second consecutive shutout of the series (in back-to-back games, no less).

Congratulations to Ads fans, the city of Norfolk, head coach Jon Cooper and Ads GM Julien BriseBois.

Of course, the Admirals aren't done yet. Not by a long shot. There's one more piece of business that they have to attend to: Claim the Calder Cup as their own by winning the looming best-of-seven championship series.

The schedule for the championship series has yet to be announced.

Norfolk Admirals Game 4 AHL Eastern Conference Final open thread

2012-05-22T21:30:06Z

This has not been my favorite week of all time. Not only have I missed a great deal of Norfolk Admirals hockey lately, but Ryan Shannon has now signed overseas. I am totally bummed out (do the kids still say that?). You know what would make me feel better? A win tonight.

The Ads take on the IceCaps in Newfoundland in Game 4. The boys from Norfolk are up 3-0 for the series, so it's possible to end it tonight. If not, Game 5 will be Saturday the 26th at 6pm ET. The series will return to Norfolk after that if necessary. I missed the game last night, but here's the game recap from the Ads website. Apparently both Scott Jackson (and/or his beard) and Ondrej Palat had close calls. Palat returned quickly. No word on Jackson or about who will start in net.

Game starts at 6:00pm ET. Catch it at 1021thegame.com or on XM satellite radio (HomeIce).

Meanwhile, Radko Gudas's beard is getting some much deserved press.

Meanwhile in the NHL, the Los Angeles Kings are trying to finish off a Conference Final series of their own. After looking absolutely unbeatable for the first three games, they dropped one to the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday afternoon. So now everyone is back in Phoenix wondering why the crowd has to wear the opposing team's colors. [Ah. Tradition.] You know Jonathan Quick deserves a Vezina when giving up 2 goals is considered a "bad" game. Not that the same couldn't be said for Mike Smith. Game is at 9:00pm ET on NBCSN.

Poll

Who will win the AHL's Western Conference?

Toronto Marlies

11 votes

Oklahoma City Barons

3 votes

14 votes | Poll has closed

2012 Tampa Bay Lightning Lined-Up Update

2012-05-22T20:07:43Z

On a very inconsistent basis, Raw Charge (and Boltsmag before it) has chronicled movements by the Tampa Bay Lightning during the off-season in what we've called the Lined-Up Update.

With the departure of Ryan Shannon to Europe, I thought it best to get the 2012 off-season moves underway.

The listing (after the jump) is not a concise and precise list of players under contract to the Tampa Bay Lightning for 2012-13. Nor will it be a list that defines who will be in camp and who will be playing in Norfolk next season. It is, however, a listing of players on the Lightning roster as of the close to the season, and player movement that takes place between now and the start of training camp in September.

We will have an actual page for live, running updates. This is our preliminary report:

There are currently 15 roster players under contract for the 2012-13 NHL season (preliminary update May 22nd, 2012)

Players names with ~~strikethroughs~~ have departedt het eam (see notes for further details)

Forwards
Player name	Status	Notes
J.T. Brown	Signed
Brett Connolly	Signed
Adam Hall	UFA
Vincent Lecavalier	Signed
Ryan Malone	Signed
Teddy Purcell	Signed
Tom Pyatt	Signed
~~Ryan Shannon~~	UFA	Signed 3 year contract with ZSC Lions of the Swiss-A League
Martin St. Louis	Signed
Steven Stamkos	Signed
Nate Thompson	Signed
Dana Tyrell	Signed
Tim Wallace	UFA
J. T. Wyman	UFA (Group 6)




Defenseman
Player name	Status
Keith Aulie	RFA
Marc-Andre Bergeron	Signed
Eric Brewer	Signed
Brett Clark	UFA
Mike Commodore	UFA
Bruno Gervais	UFA
Victor Hedman	Signed
Brian Lee	RFA
Brendan Mikkelson	RFA
Mattias Ohlund	Signed	Career remains in jeopardy after radical reconstructive knee surgery


Gotaltenders
Player Name	Status	Notes
Sebastien Caron	UFA	Intends to return to Europe for 2012-13
Matieu Garon	Signed
Dwayne Roloson	UFA