Question of the Week: Seasons greetings, Tampa Bay Lightning holiday wishes

by John Fontana on Dec 1, 2011 2:06 PM EST in Question of the Week

Ah, December! We've feasted on Thanksgiving (...a month late, if you ask the average Canadian), devouring both food and retail sales on Bllack Friday.

Yes, tis the season! The season of giving, the festival of lights, yuletidings, egg nog, and the airing of grievances! It's the holidays, may they be happy and warm, full of light and wonder!

But with the season of giving, comes the season of want. The Raw Charge question of the week, posed to members of the Boltosphere as well as the Raw Charge staff, is: What do you want (in a hockey related sense) for the holidays? Santa, family, friends, and General Manager Steve Yzerman, andCEO Tod Leiweke please take note.

Nolan Whyte - Frozen Sheets of Hockey

Dear faceless, low-rent hockey blogger,

We have been reading your work at Frozen Sheets Hockey for some time, and we want you to know that we like what we see. Your glib commentary on our team and its fortunes have long been required reading by our front office staff, and we feel the time is right to offer you a position. Your duties will not change-- just continue to voice your opinions. Only now those opinions will help to shape decision-making policy at our top levels.

Please state what you expect for compensation, and let us know when you will be available to come down for a face-to-face chat. Our charter jet will be at your disposal.

We look forward to meeting you at last,

Sincerely,

The Hockey Operations Department,
Tampa Bay Lightning.

Thank you, Santa!

Alexis Boucher - Sons of Andreychuk

On the ice, I'm hoping the team can harness their streaks of good play and put it together for a full 60 minutes. A long win streak would be nice as well. These guys are on the verge of something good, I just hope they can push it into the next gear and get it there.

When it comes to merchandise, I would love one of the white away jerseys. They are super sharp and I want to get my hands on one. For a silly wish that will probably never happen, I wish they would serve something other than Budweiser products on the Terrace level Party Deck. The last thing anyone needs to use to toast a victory is Bud Light Lime. Yuck.

Chad Schnarr -- Bolt Prospects

A clear-cut goaltender of the immediate future.

Matt Amos -- Staff Writer / Don't Trade Vinny

I'd love for the Lightning to find a sense of urgency. I, personally, am not urgent or panicky about this season. Why? For the same reason I never am. It's the Lightning.

But! I would love to see the players themselves man up a little bit. .500 is not going to cut it this year, as the Eastern Conference is much more competitive this season. When you factor in a heavier Western Conference schedule than usual, the Bolts need to get anxious for some wins, and soon. With all the shootout nonsense, even if you're sitting in 6th by late-March, you could be out of it by the time the playoffs come around.

Other than that, I'd love one of the new sweater's customized with either Marty's, or Vinny's name/number/A or C. Or just the guys themselves. #ManCrush

Clark Brooks -- Staff Writer

My Christmas list...

For Raw Charge readers: Plenty of really good reasons to visit the site over and over again between now and July.

For Raw Charge staff: New seat covers in the Raw Charge mobile news van (sorry about that; I honestly didn't think the jelly in donuts would be so hard to get out of fabric, although I guess if you spill enough of it...)

For the Tampa Bay Lightning: A top five defenseman (I tried repeatedly to write something else there but the auto-correct keeps changing it)

For the St. Pete Times Forum: Tour dates from Prince and all the money they'd make as a result (I'm good for $75-$125 for a seat within the first 10 rows).

For the NHL: A realignment plan that makes everybody happy, except of course the miserable old provincial Original Sixers who are never happy because, honestly, at this point, screw them.

For me, myself: The "new" home Lightning sweater, numbered, with my name on it and somebody cute to give it to me.

Dani Toth -- Staff Writer / Lightning Hockey Blog

Dear ~~Santa~~ Steve Yzerman,

Please get the team a top 4 defenceman? That is all I want for Christmas. Is that too much to ask? If not...I'll settle for a new Lightning jersey if the defenceman will be a late present say around February 27th?

Dani

And you, dear reader? What would you like for the holidays?

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Comments

I think I'm with Alexis

even though I won’t make it to the Forum this year. The RBC has Pipeline Porter on tap—that’s doing it right.

But 60 minutes would be nice.

Heel for school, Vol for life!

Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!

by Incipient_Senescence on Dec 1, 2011 2:14 PM EST reply actions

I’ll take it one further: consistent 60-minute effort for a several-game stretch. If that’s being too picky, then yes: a mere 60-minutes would be nice.

"The Revolution will be complete when the language is perfect"
- Smith in Orwell's 1984

by MTBoltFan on Dec 1, 2011 2:41 PM EST up reply actions

Ooops. Answering this slipped my mind. Sorry, John.

I wish for the Lightning to work as one cohesive unit on the ice for the full 60+ minutes every night – both offensively and defensively. Because, well, that’d be nice. And not many other teams in the NHL do that, either. So, if you’re going to be unconventional….

Oh. Wait. You mean, that’s not possible? Huh. Silly me.

So, I guess I’ll just settle for another Stanley Cup, please. If you have to save up for it for a couple of years, I understand. I’m willing to wait for the good stuff. :o)

"You don't have enough talent to win on talent alone." -Herb Brooks

Raw Charge, an SBN Tampa Bay Lightning community. Follow me on Twitter: @dagmar27.

by Cassie McClellan on Dec 1, 2011 2:51 PM EST reply actions

1- A clear-cut goaltender of the immediate future. 2
2- Consistent 60-minute effort. Win or lose, all I want is 60 minutes of Lightning hockey every game. Am I asking too much?

Following the Lightning from Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
Let's. Go. BOLTS!

by Rafael Amarante on Dec 1, 2011 5:59 PM EST reply actions

With all of us asking for 60 minutes of effort for a number of games in a row, there may be a run on that at Wins R Us. Santa better be on the lookout for pepper spray. Just to be on the safe side, he should probably stock up early. Starting on Saturday, for instance.

R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - Albert Einstein

by CAustin on Dec 1, 2011 7:00 PM EST reply actions